


Taken Hostage

by Hime_no_Kowai_Shumi



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/F, Non-Consensual, Parent/Child Incest, Rape
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-11
Updated: 2016-05-16
Packaged: 2018-01-24 07:59:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 15
Words: 30,519
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1597457
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hime_no_Kowai_Shumi/pseuds/Hime_no_Kowai_Shumi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Alternate ending of 2x09 "Queen of Hearts." Only Snow came back through the portal, leaving Emma stranded in the Enchanted Forest. With Cora. Regina has to figure out a way to get to the Enchanted Forest to rescue Emma from her mother's clutches. Trigger Warnings: Non-Consensual Black Swan, Mentions of past non-consensual Black Queen. No Hook. `</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. In the Lion's Den

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Once Upon a Time or any characters. All rights go to Adam and Eddy.
> 
> Spoilers: Anything up to 2x09 "Queen of Hearts" is fair game.
> 
> A/N: Here's where the warning comes in. This story contains rape and past accounts of incest. I will periodically remind everyone when such scenes will take place. This story is AU. One of the main things that I am changing is that Emma is aware that she has magic. Consult the summary for further changes.

"Life's too short to dwell on the past, so take a deep breath and move on to the future."

-Unknown

**Chapter 1: In the Lion’s Den**

Regina felt the wave of dark green magic recede into her body, blasting her back from the well. She’d promised Henry she’d do everything she could to return Emma to Storybrooke. And Snow, of course. As much as she would rather leave her nemesis in the Enchanted Forest, her son needed his grandmother. She nearly grimaced at the thought, before focusing back on the well. No one emerged, not Snow or Emma. And not the target of the curse: her mother.

“I’m sorry, Henry,” she spoke, loud enough that only her son heard.

“No,” Henry breathed out quietly. The moment the words escaped his mouth, two hands appeared, latched onto the side of the well. To her astonishment (and no doubt Gold’s, as the imp watched from afar,) Snow White pulled herself over the edge of the stone, leaning back against it, out of breath. “Grandma!” the ten-year old began to run up to her but stopped. He shot over to the well, peering inside of it before turning back to the pixie-haired brunette, confusion appearing on his face.

Before he could speak, Regina spoke, her voice tight in her throat, “Where’s Emma?”

Snow felt fear wash through her, even as Ruby appeared from behind Gold, as her best friend ran up to her and hugged her.

_“Let’s go home!” Emma’s voice was rough as she walked up to her._

_Her daughter was slightly out of breath, but having Cora trying to rip out her heart didn’t come without consequences. She gripped the blonde’s hand and went to jump when a blast of magic pushed them apart._

_“I don’t know where you think you’re going, dears, but it’s certainly not through there.” Cora’s voice was taunting, mocking even._

_Emma nudged her slightly, their green eyes connecting, “Snow, get going.”_

_“But Emma…”_

_Her daughter smiled, “I’ll be right behind you.”_

_She offered her own smile, as small as it was, before jumping through the portal._

Her voice was low, her eyes moving over to the queen’s, “I…I don’t know.”

“What?” the mayor growled out, “What do you mean you don’t know? Did she jump through the portal with you or not?” _She had to have gone with her mother_ , Regina reasoned, _but there was no other portal into Storybrooke now that Jefferson’s hat was destroyed_.

Snow looked shamed, “She didn’t.”

The former evil queen exploded with rage, “What do you mean _she didn’t_?! There isn’t a way to…”

Her nemesis was quick to interrupt, “Your mother cut in right before we jumped through it.”

Regina visibly paled, “My _mother_ interfered?” To think that her mother had not simply killed them.

Snow nodded, “We met her after we got to the Enchanted Forest. She was trying to get through the portal, but we stopped her…”

Regina tuned the annoying woman out, her mind running in reverse.

_“Mother, what are you…”_

_“Hush, Regina.”_

_“But Mother…” A harsh_ crack _echoed through the 14-year-old’s room, and the young girl pressed a hand to her check._

_“Silence, Regina! Do as I say…”_

“…And Emma pushed me out of the way, and Cora plunged her hand into her chest.”

Regina felt all the air leave her lungs and heard Henry shout along with her, “ _She **what**_?”

Snow winced. Ruby did as well; she really did need to go take herself for a walk. Regina forced herself to take a deep breath, to try to calm down, and Henry ran up to her, burying himself in her arms. She felt his tears start to fall as he breathed out, “Mom,” and tears threatened to spill in her eyes.

“No, it’s okay,” Snow said, trying to calm the two, “She didn’t take her heart. She tried, but Emma blasted her back with her magic.”

Henry’s head snapped up, but he didn’t loosen his hold, “Her magic?”

Regina inwardly sighed. She had figured out that Emma could use magic moments after she had jumpstarted her magic and they had gotten Jefferson’s hat to work. She hadn’t gotten the chance to tell Henry. She wasn’t sure Emma even knew what it was. She cleared her throat gently, “Henry, perhaps Miss Lucas would take you back to Granny’s for some hot chocolate? Mr. Gold and I have to figure out how to get Emma home.”

“But Mom…” his tone was pleading as he looked up at her.

She pressed a kiss to his forehead, “Please, honey, just go with Miss Lucas.”

He gave a small nod in acceptance before mother and son looked at the shape-shifter. Ruby offered a small smile, beckoning to the boy, “Come on, Henry.”

As they began to walk away, Snow looked over at Regina, pleadingly, “Regina.” The queen didn’t want her pity. She didn’t want to discuss anything with the woman.

“Go wake up your prince, Snow.” She tried to say it with a sneer, as an insult, but she still sounded wounded. Hurt. _Fearful_. Snow’s eyes widened as if she was asking herself how she could’ve forgotten about her Prince Charming stuck under the sleeping curse. As Snow caught up with Ruby and Henry, Rumple limped over to her. She turned to look at him, anger in her gaze, “I need to get to the Enchanted Forest.”

He regarded her silently for a moment before turning back to the well, “And how are you planning on doing that, dearie? And better yet, _why_? With Miss Swan out of the way, you have Henry to yourself, just like you always wanted. And with your _mother_ too…” He trailed off, waiting for an explanation.

“ **No one** ,” she began, her voice both harsh and terrified, though not for herself he realized, “ _No one_ deserves to be **alone** with my _mother_.”

* * *

 

Emma blinked slowly, trying to focus on her surroundings. Pristine white walls. A large window. Two. Red curtains hung down from the ceiling, obscuring what lay beyond the windows. A mirror sat in the corner, she noted. She was on a twin bed. _Definitely not at Granny’s. Then_ where? She closed her eyes, trying to bring back her memory. Snow. _Cora_.

She remembered seeing Snow jump into the portal. Cora had sneered. Goaded her. Pissed her off. She picked up the sword that she’d abandoned on the ground and charged at Regina’s mother. Only to have the sword be tossed aside by the woman’s magic. To have herself thrown back near the portal. The _closing_ portal.

_Her eyes widened in shock as she looked back at the rapidly closing portal._ Fuck! _She rolled onto her stomach before rising to her knees, moving to stand, nearly running to the portal. She just has to jump and…A hand grabbed her neck and pushed her face into the sand harshly. She sputtered as sand slipped into her mouth. Cora’s voice hissed against her ear,_

_“Love is weakness, dear. Not strength. You should do well to remember that.”_

What do you know, _she wanted to yell back._ You don’t know anything about love! _She struggled against the rough hand, willing her body to produce that white light she had done earlier. She_ needed _to get away. Needed to get home to Henry and…_

_The hand on her neck remained, even as she thrashed, before Cora’s other hand gripped her hair and yanked her up harshly, the woman’s voice against her ears, “Do you see that, Miss Swan? That’s your_ love _vanishing_! _That’s your hope! And there’s_ **nothing** _you can do about it!”_

_She watched, shocked, as the portal began to get smaller and smaller before it finally closed. Only then did the woman release her and step back, watching with what had to be an amused expression as she struggled to her feet. She felt anger cloud her vision and she turned and swung her fist, hearing it connect with the other woman’s face._

_Unlike the time she had punched Regina in front of the Mills family crypt, Cora seemed surprised that someone had struck her, “I_ **will** _find a way home, you heartless bitch!”_

_Cora laughed. Harsh, cold. She felt herself freeze in place. The Queen of Hearts advanced on her suddenly, knocking her harshly to the ground with a wave of her hand, pinning her there with another spell._

_“I promise you this,” the woman’s voice was harsh, “Even if you manage to get back home, you won’t get there unscarred.”_

_Darkness clouded her vision before she could make sense of the words._

The sound of a door opening made her jerk in surprise. She looked towards it, expecting Cora to be standing there. She was surprised to find that the other woman was nowhere in sight.

“Where the hell am I?” she muttered quietly to herself as she stood from the bed.

She walked over to the windows, pushing aside the curtain to peer outside. Unlike the green she had seen in the Enchanted Forest, the area was blackened. It was like nothing was alive. Trees were black, charred stumps. The ground was dark with ash. The sun shone over the land and through the window, which she found a little strange. This place wouldn’t thrive again even in sunlight. It was nearly uninhabitable.

“It’s a beautiful disaster that Regina created, isn’t it?” Cora’s voice made her jump, but before she could turn, the woman had her pinned against both the large window and her body, her face pressing against the glass. The blonde felt the fear from earlier take hold, leaving her unable to move. Cora’s breath ghosted softly against her skin, fingers trailing along her hips, digging softly. Her voice was a whisper against the savior’s ear, “Tell me, Miss Swan: Have you ever wondered what caused my daughter to turn out the way she did?” Emma growled low in her throat, her fear giving way to adrenaline as she began to struggle against the older woman’s hold. Cora smirked, grasping her chin tightly before stroking her cheek, their eyes locking in the slight reflection cast by the window, “It’s quite alright, dear. No need to fight me.”

“Get off of me!” The adrenaline coursed through her body, and, with a sudden burst of strength, the blonde shook the woman off of her and rounded on her, aiming to punch her.

Cora caught her fist with ease, making Emma’s eyes widen in shock. She chuckled low in her throat as she drew her flush against her body and trapped her once again against the window, pinning her back to the glass, nose to nose. Emma struggled against her, stunned by the woman’s strength. The Queen of Hearts smirked before bringing their lips together harshly, holding her waist tighter to keep her from struggling. Emma found herself unable to pull away, but it wasn’t of her own free will. _Magic. Cora was using magic_. Cora’s teeth nipped harshly at her lower lip, enough to draw blood, before her tongue slipped the blonde’s lips, and Emma found herself responding. Her eyes closed. A moan escaped her lips, much to her horror and Cora’s delight. The longer this continued, the faster her oxygen began to run out. She could barely breathe, but Cora didn’t seem like she was letting up soon. She was on the verge of tears streaming down her cheeks when Cora finally pulled away.

She swayed for a moment, gasping for breath, taking in as much oxygen as she could. Cora stood in front of her, ever the Queen, poised, dignified. She went to speak, but the brunette beat her to it, “I’m going to break you, Miss Swan. I’m going to ruin you. I’m going to tame you. And I’m going to fuck you into submission,” At Emma’s startled expression, she sneered, her eyes predatory, “You seem surprised by my language, Miss Swan. Don’t be. As Queen, it is my duty to keep up with current times. Now where was I? Oh, yes, I will destroy every hope you have about returning to Storybrooke. And I will make sure that you know exactly what my darling daughter has gone through.”

“What…What are you talking about? What does that mean?”

“Just that you’ll soon be learning your place as Regina did: beneath me. Squirming. Begging. Pleading.”

Emma felt hot anger rush through her veins. _This woman…her_ mother _had…_ “You’re fucking sick, lady! How could you do that to your daughter?”

Cora frowned, bringing her free hand to the blonde’s neck, pressing down roughly; Emma coughed, clawing at the hand desperately, “The same way I’m going to do it to you. After all, how can you claim to love someone when you haven’t experienced what they have?” _How does she know that? How does she know I love…?_ Emma began to see dark spots in front of her eyes as the woman squeezed harder. Her strength began to fail her, her nails seemingly doing nothing against the older brunette’s hold. “I felt every emotion you’ve ever had when I grasped your heart. I know how you feel about Regina,” she smiled coldly, seeing the blonde’s eyes start to droop; she lessened her hold just enough to keep the precious savior conscious, “it’s a shame really. If you hadn’t loved my daughter, I would’ve killed you, simple as that. Love is weakness. It’s a disease. And it’s the reason you’re in this predicament.” That’s the last thing Emma heard before darkness swam over her vision.

* * *

 

Regina weaved her hand in front of the mirror in her office, feeling her magic buzz in her fingertips. It was a long shot with this locator spell, she knew, but she had to try. If she could just see Emma through the mirror, recognize where she was, she _knew_ she could get the imp and the fairy to help her make a portal. If there was a mirror where she was, this task would have a better chance of succeeding. She held one of Emma’s leather jackets (acquired by Henry at her request) in her free hand, focusing on the lingering magic. _Gods, there was barely any._ She closed her eyes in concentration. _Come on. Please._ Her magic crackled. She opened her eyes, begging her magic to work for good…


	2. A Way

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Black Swan in this chapter. That's your trigger warning.

"The person who really wants something finds a way; the other person finds an excuse."

Unknown

-Previously-

_Her magic crackled. She opened her eyes, begging her magic to work for good…_

**Chapter 2: A Way**

Her angle was off slightly, ( _the mirror_ , she reasoned,  _was a tad too low_ ) but she could just make out the blonde savior on the bed. A very familiar looking bed. Her eyes darted across the room quickly, unsure of how much time she would have, searching –  _searching_  – for some clue.  _Where the hell is she_? Her eyes fell on the drapes.  _Why do they look so familiar_? Realization dawned on her, and the blood drained from her face. She cursed her mother. And then she cursed Snow for not dragging the blonde through the portal.

Emma was in her castle, which wouldn't be a problem under normal circumstances, but the blonde was in one of her many "guest" rooms. She shuddered involuntarily, thinking of the torture that had been inflicted in rooms similar to the one presented to her eyes. She ran her eyes as best she could over the sleeping blonde. She didn't look injured.  _How long had she been asleep_? Shaking her head, she was about to remove the spell when Cora's dark purple smoke, so like her own, swirled around the slumbering blonde.

"Shit!" the former Queen couldn't control her outburst. She never expected her mother to move her, but then she never thought for a moment that Emma would be in the Dark Castle.

Her magic began to fade and panic shot through her body. She  _needed_ to see Emma before she dispelled her magic.  _To make sure she was safe_ , she told herself, though she knew it was a foolish reason. The blonde was stuck with her mother, defenseless because she couldn't control her magic. Thinking quickly, she strengthened her locator spell to ensure it wouldn't suddenly disband. Her free hand moved quickly. Knowing that there were mirrors in all of the sleeping chambers in her castle, she allowed her locator spell to guide her, using the mirrors as her sight; they did nothing, however, to lessen the fear pounding in her heart.  _Not in there. No. Not there. Gods, why are there so many fucking bedrooms?_ Her eyes darted back and forth frantically, and she struggled to keep her thoughts steady.  _Magic is emotion. Calm down, Regina. Damn it, calm down!_ She breathed heavily through her nose, (her eyes closing briefly) releasing the tension with an exhale. She opened her eyes, feeling her magic buzz slightly in her fingertips.  _Found her_.

Her breath caught in her throat. Black curtains covered the windows, obscuring the death-colored sky, she knew. Sunlight managed to peak through, however, staining the dark purple sheets on her bed with warmth. And illuminating the sinfully naked body of Emma Swan, body cast mostly in shadows. She felt her mouth go dry.

Emma was asleep, curled slightly to her side, but because the mirror in her bed chambers was eye-level with her bed, she had the perfect view of the savior's body. She swallowed roughly, her eyes betraying her by tracing along the outline of a soft breast, watching, captive to her desires, as the blonde's bosom rose and fell with each breath. Her eyes seemed to follow a path, skimming along a lightly tanned arm up to a pale shoulder, tracing her neck, her face, memorizing every detail, before flicking down to her lips. A dull ache shot through her body, and she gasped softly in surprise; her gaze continued backwards to strong legs. Her gaze ran upwards, of its own accord, to the hidden junction between the blonde's thighs. Heat shot to her core, surprising her, and nearly making her forget that Emma was in danger. She felt a dull pang in her heart, and she clutched softly at the flesh protecting her organ; it ached for her to simply be able to lay next to the woman. She was afraid of the ramifications if she could be able to…

"Enough looking, darling," Cora's voice startled her, and she found herself staring into her mother's face, their matching eyes locking, Emma and the room around Cora fading into darkness, and she realized the break in her magic immediately, as the Queen of Hearts blocked her magic, leaving them suspended in the older brunette's spell.

"Mother, why are you doing this?"

Cora smirked, and it sent chills down the former Evil Queen's spine, "Love is weakness, Regina."

"Mother…" Confusion was desperate to creep into her tone, but she was in fear for the blonde's life, her sanity. She  _couldn't_ let her mother know that she was baffled by her words.

"How many times, do you think, will it take for the Savior to understand that?"

She blanched at the implication, at the understanding of what her mother was going to do, "Mother, please, you don't have to…"

"Don't I, dear?"

She felt a crippling fear take root, "N…No, you don't." She inwardly cursed herself for stuttering.

"Everything I do is for your own good."

"Mother, don't hurt her." Even as she spoke, her own voice came to mind, young in body, weak in magic, and afraid… _"Mama, don't hurt me."_

Cora continued as though she hadn't spoken, "Who knows dear? Maybe next time you can watch."

" **Mother!** " Her voice came out raw. Spiteful. Full of emotion.

Cora vanished from the mirror, leaving her staring back into her own eyes, eyes filled with unshed tears, ones she hadn't realized she had been holding back. She brought Emma's jacket to her chest, briefly, allowing herself to get a grip on the emotions rolling through her (she struggled not to let the sob that was building be released, but was unsuccessful, and it caused her to hold the jacket tighter, breathing in the blonde's scent until she was calm), before she wiped her eyes and turned towards the door, masking her emotions as best she could: behind the façade of the Evil Queen. After returning Emma's jacket, she was going to go find the imp and the Blue Fairy and get their help. She'd get Emma home. If it was the last thing she did.

* * *

 

Cora smirked as she turned away from the mirror, her eyes locking on the slumbering blonde.  _Such a beautiful child._ She thought of the stable boy, now long dead. Her daughter always did fancy things far below her… _but then again_ , she mused,  _a Princess is so much more than a stable boy. But Regina needs to learn that power is all she needs_.

The purple of the sheets were perfect for her daughter, but the mood needed to be set. With a flick of her wrist, the purple sheets lightened to a rich red.  _Better_ , she thought with a grin, watching in amusement as the blonde shifted in her sleep so that she was lying flat on her back. She had to admit that her daughter had good taste. She sat beside the blonde for a moment before running one of her hands along the blonde's taut stomach. Stretch marks were present near her sides, also appearing on her breasts.

" _Who's Henry?" she remembers asking._

" _My son. I sort of share him with Regina."_

"Your son isn't going to be the only thing you'll share with my daughter, dear," She grinned down at the sleeping blonde, "Trust me." Her grin morphed into a smirk as she shook the blonde's shoulder, "Time to wake up, dear."

* * *

 

" _Mom, Ma, come on it's time to get up," Henry's voice floated from downstairs, his voice having grown deeper as the years went by._

" _Mmm," she curled herself closer to Regina, a soft moan escaping her lips when the brunette wrapped a free arm around her waist, drawing her closer. Their eyes met, warm green to brown._

_The mayor pressed a kiss to her lips, "Good morning, Emma."_

"Time to wake up, dear."  _The vision before the blonde's eyes began to disappear._

"Regina." She whispered gently before blinking herself awake.

"I'm afraid not." Cora's voice was sickly sweet, and as Emma woke fully, she became aware of Cora's hand running softly through her hair.

"Wha…"

"Shhh," the brunette pressed a finger to the blonde's lips, cutting off her protest.

She pulled away roughly, "Where are my clothes?" A loud _smack_ ricochet in the bed chamber, and Emma cried out softly. "What the hell?!"

"Quiet," Cora hissed before capturing the blonde's lips with such a ferocity that Emma let out a startled gasp. A blush of embarrassment rose to her cheeks at the sudden rush of arousal that polled between her legs.

"No! Get away!" She shouted once Cora released her, her voice holding both embarrassment and anger.

The brunette laughed, moving her free hand down to cup the blonde's sex roughly, even as she struggled to keep her legs closed, "There's no need to shy away from me, Miss Swan." With a flick of her wrists, magic held tight to her ankles and left her exposed. She shuddered, feeling the brunette run two fingers through her soaked folds, and squeezed her eyes shut against the sensations.

_Think of Regina. If it's Regina, it's right. If it's Regina, it's okay. Regina, Regina, Regina._

Two fingers slammed harshly into her, drawing a strangled cry from her lips, before Cora's lips settled against hers, cutting off her voice, biting her bottom lip enough to draw blood. Her eyes shot open at the conflicting sensations, and she found herself stuck in Cora's gaze.  _Regina's eyes. They're Regina's eyes_.

"Do you want to come, Miss Swan?"  _Not Regina's voice. Cora's voice._

"No!" she shouted harshly, but her walls constricted harshly as Cora's fingers twisted upward, making her cry out.

"Are you sure?" Two fingers became three.

_Regina wouldn't do this. Regina wouldn't…_

"I want my name on your lips as you come, Miss Swan."

"Fuck off!"

Cora smirked, "You first."

Emma's hips tilted upwards of their own accord, and she came, her body tensing up. Cora didn't let up, her fingers still pumping harshly.

"Say my name, Miss Swan. Say my name, and I'll stop."

Emma bit down harshly on her lip as she felt her second orgasm building, shaking her head roughly, " _No_!"

"You're addressing a queen," Cora's thumb swiped over her clit quickly, making her cry out, "you should answer in the affirmative. Now, say" fingers twisted none-to-gently inside her, making her whimper in pain, "My. Name." The brunette's free hand twisted in her hair, tugging roughly when she didn't speak: "Say it."

Tears spilled down her cheeks, both from pain as her arousal gave way and shame at getting so aroused in the first place. What little arousal she had left did nothing to cushion the pain the fingers caused as they moved furiously within her. She shut her eyes tightly.  _Regina_.

" **Cora**!"

"Good girl," the sickly-sweet voice was back, and she groaned softly as the fingers were pulled out roughly (making her shudder in revulsion) and wiped on her stomach. She felt the woman begin to move away and let out an inaudible sigh. Her relief, however, was short-lived as Cora pulled her into a kiss. She struggled to pull away, her hand moving on its own to strike the witch, "No, no." Cora's hand wrapped around her wrist, tugging her closer, "We're not done yet."

* * *

 

"Listen here, you pompous fairy!" Regina growled out, jabbing her finger onto Mother Superior's chest, "This isn't something that's up for debate! It's  _imperative_ that I get to the Enchanted Forest."

"Your Majesty…" Blue began.

"No!" She turned from the fairy, facing Rumple, who stood impassively beside the counter in his shop. "Come on, Rumple. There has to be a way!"

"Why do you want to get to the Enchanted Forest so bad?" Rumple asked, curiosity in his voice.

Anger overtook the brunette's features, "It's a matter of life and death." She answered harshly, trying not to let her fear seep through.

Rumple's eyes met the Blue Fairy's, "Very well, dearie. We should have a portal ready soon."

"I can help…"

"No, Regina, please," She turned towards the fairy, confused, "You should try to rest. To get some of your strength back. Absorbing that curse must have taken a lot out of you."

She begrudgingly agreed and set back to her house, though she knew she wouldn't rest. In the hour it took before Gold called her, she paced her living room, her thoughts on what her mother was doing to… _Henry's other mother_ , her mind supplied. _That was all Miss Swan was._   _Wasn't she_?

* * *

 

"I'm on my way," she hung up her phone and went to her door, opening it…and came face to face with the two idiots.

"Regina," Snow had tears in her eyes, but she quickly pushed aside any concern she wanted to display, pulling her door shut and locking it.

"I've got to go, Snow. Whatever it is…"

"Let me go with you," the pixie-haired brunette implored.

"I can't do that."

"She's my daughter!"

"And she's," Regina bit her lip, composing herself, "She's Henry's other mother. I need to get her. I'm the only one capable of stopping my mother."  _Or offering a trade_ , she thought morbidly. "I'll have your daughter back here in one piece."

"Regina," Charming started.

"I need you to take care of Henry until Emma and I get back. Promise me."

Charming nodded, "Okay, we will."

"Thank you." In a swirl of smoke, she was gone.

* * *

 

Regina stood at the portal with Rumple and Blue, feeling her magic buzz within her.

"Take this. Once you have Emma, both of your magic combined will open another portal back here." Blue said, handing her a pocket-sized mirror.

"You realize, dearie, that if Miss Swan dies…"

"She won't die." Regina was surprised her voice didn't break in her conviction.

Rumple offered a small smile, "Very well. Let's begin, Blue."

The combination of light and dark magic was astounding, mixing within the well beautifully. She took a step forward.

"Mom! Wait!"

Regina stopped and turned towards Henry's voice, only to be bombarded by one of her son's hugs. She wrapped her arms around him, "Henry, what are you doing here?"

Snow and Charming came running up to them, Regina shot them a glare, "We tried to stop him, Regina, but…"

"Henry," she looked down at her son, "I have to go. I have to get Emma."

"I know. I just wanted to tell you that I believe in you. And that I love you and Ma."

 _Ma_?  _That was new_ , "I love you too. I've got to go, Henry."

"I know."

She offered her son a watery smile, knowing that if she or Emma died, neither of them would see their son again, and turned back through the portal, her magic buzzing. She looked back at Henry, Snow and Charming, offering a nod to Rumple and Blue, before jumping down the well and allowing her body to be engulfed by the portal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter will be up soon


	3. Losing Control

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warning: More Black Swan in this chapter

“Monsters are real, ghosts are real too. They live inside us, and sometimes, they win.”

Stephen King

**Chapter 3: Losing Control**

Emma let out an inaudible sigh when Cora stood, stepping away from the bed. Truth be told, she wasn’t sure if she could speak right now. Her body ached, her throat sore from screaming. Her eyes remained trained on the other woman despite her desire to close them, to block out everything. _Regina would know what to do_. She blinked back her tiredness and noticed Cora staring at her, an amused smirk crossing her features.

Despite the pain in her throat, she spoke, “What the hell’s so funny?”

Cora was back on the bed in a flash, running a hand down the side of her face before gripping her chin firmly to hold her head in place, “I didn’t give you permission to speak, Miss Swan, did I?”

“I don’t need your permission,” she spat back, struggling against the woman’s hold, shaking her head roughly; she probably would have succeeded if a round of dizziness hadn’t overtook her. “What the hell?”

“Try not to move too much, dear.” Cora released her and pushed her back, sending her sprawling onto the bed. She squirmed, struggling to get away. _God, not again_. The brunette straddled her waist, smirking, “If you would’ve _just_ stayed quiet, I would’ve left you alone for a little while.”

“Go to Hel—” Cora cut her off with a harsh kiss. She could literally taste the magic as it forced her to kiss back. Her mouth opened, her tongue coming out to mingle with the brunette’s before the sorceress claimed dominance. Arousal flooded her core, making her gasp sharply in pain. She couldn’t take another fingering, let alone an orgasm.

Cora pulled away, leaving her gasping for breath, and smirked down at her, “Well, now, what do we have here?”

“Don’t…” she breathed out, raggedly.

“Come here,” With a wave of her hand, Cora pulled her up until they were facing each other, breathing each other’s air. Fingers stroked softly through her hair before it was being pulled to the point of pain, the other woman hissing in her ear, “Don’t tell me what not to do, dear. It’s rude.” Their gazes met before the Queen of Hearts smirked, speaking in the same sickly-sweet voice as before, and it made her want to gag, “Let me show you this trick I did whenever Regina misbehaved.” Her eyes widened as she suddenly found herself being levitated off the bed, bound tightly by invisible ropes. “How long would you like to be up there, dear?”

“Let me down, you fucking psychopath!”

The woman tsked softly before she felt the ropes tighten around her, “Not the answer I was looking for.”

“Let me go!”

Cora opened her mouth to retort when she paused, her head tilted to the side slightly, as if confused, before she dropped the hold she had on her, sending her back to the bed. She quickly schooled her features to reflect confusion and not relief.

“As much as I’ve enjoyed this little game, I’ll leave you alone for now. I’ll be back, dear.”

Before she could question the other’s sudden disinterest (not like she really wanted to because _God, that was fucking intense_ ) Cora was gone in a swirl of smoke. The emotions hit the blonde all at once: Relief, confusion, anger, sadness. She felt tears slip down her cheeks, as her sadness outweighed her other emotions. She curled up under the sheet, thankful for the warmth that it provided on her chilled body, her sweat-covered body unused to this treatment. Taking a moment to thank whatever had distracted the Queen of Hearts, she slipped into sleep, tears trailing down her cheeks.

* * *

 

_“Ma!” Henry stops her at the front door, a nervous smile on his lips. “What are you doing home so early?”_

_She cocks an eyebrow, bemused, “I figured since it’s my birthday and all, I could sneak out a couple hours early,” She peers over his shoulder, smirking, “Honey, why won’t our son let me through the front door?”_

_Regina appears at the kitchen doorway, smiling softly at her and Henry, “It’s okay, Henry. Let her through.”_

_The 11-year-old steps aside begrudgingly, and she ruffles his hair in passing. Stepping into their house, she removes her boots and leather jacket before walking over to her girlfriend and pulling her close. With a smile, she pulls the brunette into a warm kiss,_

_“Ew, moms!”_

_Pulling back, she sees Regina’s grin. Playful. Warm. Safe._

_“Henry, please go wash up for dinner.”_

_He’s up the stairs quickly, and she chuckles along with Regina. Once he’s out of sight, she turns back towards the mayor, tucking a stray hair behind her ear._

_“Dinner smells great.”_

_“Thank you.”_

_“You’re welcome.”_

_Another kiss is placed on her lips. Gentle. Chaste. Comforting, “Happy Birthday, Emma.”_

_“I love you, Regina.”_

_A smile lights Regina’s face, “I love you too, Emma. So much.”_

_She hears Henry coming down the stairs and turns, wanting to hug him after a long day of work. She isn’t expecting the liquid fire in her veins, the sudden burning in her lungs, the crippling pain._

* * *

 

Emma shot awake, gasping harshly for breath. An agonizing scream was torn from her throat. She felt her fingers start to prickle; it was the same feeling she felt when she had activated Jefferson’s hat. But different. Activating Jefferson’s hat hadn’t hurt this _fucking much_. It was her magic, she realized. It’s not something that Cora had done. Her magic was hurting her, causing her pain. _Did this happen with Regina_? _With Rumple_? _Was it because she had never learned how to control it_? _Was it lying dormant too long_? _Did that even matter_? _It hurt so fucking much_.

“Make it stop…” Her voice came out hoarse, speaking to no one. A plea to whomever was listening. She didn’t know how to make it stop. A potion maybe. Hell, she didn’t care. She’d take as many potions as she could to make it stop. She closed her eyes, resisting the urge to cry out when another wave of pain hit her. _God, this is worse than childbirth_. The next wave made her see black spots, and seconds later, she was out cold.

* * *

 

As soon as Regina’s feet touched the ground, she felt the rush of pain that flashed and coiled through her body. She staggered on her feet, her muscles seizing in a vice grip. Her magic pulsed through her body, prickling in her fingers, reacting to _something_. _But what_?It felt familiar. Warm. The realization hit her suddenly, and she knew without a doubt. _Emma_. More specifically Emma’s magic. The pain shot through her again, nearly bringing her to her knees. _What was with this pain_? _Was her magic hurting her because she was too far away from Emma_?

“Damn it all,” She gritted out through clenched teeth.

With a flick of her wrist, she was standing outside the Dark Castle, the green of the Enchanted Forest long behind her. There was a faint buzz, but the unbearable pain was gone. She sighed in relief before pulling out the small mirror, allowing her magic to flow through it, activating it. She felt herself release a breath she didn’t know she was holding, as she gazed upon the sheriff. Blonde hair was splayed out on the pillows, and thankfully, her purple-turned-red sheet covered Emma’s body. _Well_ , she considered briefly as her body flared with arousal, _perhaps not so thankfully_. Emma seemed to be sleeping peacefully, but the mayor could see the thin layer of sweat on her brow, which caused an uncomfortable knot to form in her stomach. She’d been too late to stop the abuse. _I’ve got to get her home before it gets worse_. The thought hit her so suddenly that she nearly laughed aloud. To think she used to hate her, resent her…loathe her, fearful that she’d try to steal Henry.

_“You’re Henry’s birth mother?”_

_“Hi.”_

There was so much fighting. So many disagreements.

_“You’re going to stay away from me. And more importantly, from Henry.”_

_“What? That’s—”_

_“Not open for discussion.”_

A lot of sexual tension, she was sure of that.

_“Don’t underestimate me, Miss Swan. You have no idea what I’m capable of.”_

_“Sister, you have no idea what_ I _am capable of.”_

_“Miss Swan, you'll sit down immediately, or so help me—”_

_“What? You’ll punish me?”_

But they both…

_“He’s my son.”_

_“He’s my son, too.”_

They both loved Henry…

She had to bring Emma home. She needed to be safe. It was as much for the blonde’s sake as it was for Henry’s.  And for her own. She wouldn’t be able to live with herself if she didn’t save Emma…

Her attention focused back on the mirror at the blonde’s muttering of her name. _Even when asleep, huh_? She felt her heart swell with affection she hadn’t felt since Henry had started acting like her little prince again. It took only a second for her heart to drop into her stomach as her mother materialized into the room, the purple smoke dissipating. She saw her smirk. Saw the bed dip as she sat, bent closer to the sleeping beauty. Her breathing quickened, fear for the blonde taking over. One of Cora’s hands trailed through blonde locks, gentle and maternal. She felt the bile rise in throat, unsure of what to do. She wanted to poof into the room, get Emma, and then get out, but she wasn’t sure she could take on her mother while worrying for the blonde. _Perhaps a trade_.

Her mother’s voice sent chills down her spine, “Time to wake up, Miss Swan.”


	4. Going Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warning: Black Swan and Black Queen in this chapter.

"They want love and they want family, and they want home.”

Edward Kitsis (on Emma and Regina)

-Previously-

_Her breathing quickened, fear for the blonde taking over. One of Cora’s hands trailed through blonde locks, gentle and maternal. She felt the bile rise in throat, unsure of what to do. She wanted to poof into the room, get Emma, and then get out, but she wasn’t sure she could take on her mother while worrying for the blonde._ Perhaps a trade _._

_Her mother’s voice sent chills down her spine, “Time to wake up, Miss Swan.”_

**Chapter 4: Going Home**

Cora couldn’t contain her satisfied smirk as the blonde stirred at her command, but it quickly turned into a grimace at the utterance of her daughter’s name. The hand that stroked through blonde strands almost lovingly now gripped harshly, pulling to the point of pain.

Green eyes shot open, panicked and fearful. Pale lips parted but whether to scream or curse mattered little to the brunette. She slapped her hand over the blonde’s mouth, a sneer on her lips, pressing down harshly the more the Savior struggled.

“Shhh, dear,” she cooed softly, her eyes predatory. “No need to fight.” Not ever again, if she had her way.

A strange look crossed the younger woman’s face, but before she could determine what it meant, the blonde shook her head wildly from side to side, causing her to momentarily lose her grip. Anger bubbled to the surface. _How dare she_! She moved her hand, but before she could place it back over the blonde’s mouth, teeth sunk harshly into her flesh, making her pull back, startled, but still the blonde didn’t release her.

A surprised gasp escaped her lips, “You wench!!”

Her other hand came across the blonde’s face, slapping hard enough that the Savior released her hold and let out a gasp of her own; she would’ve fallen had she not already been laying on the bed. The regal woman examined her injured hand, frowning at the teeth marks that marred her flesh. She turned back to the blonde, who was looking at her with wide, fearful eyes. She reached out and cupped her cheek softly, running her thumb softly over the red mark that blemished pale skin, smirking as the blonde tried flinching away.

_She’s so much like Regina it’s almost comical_.

Tightening her hold on the blonde’s jaw, her voice came out venomous, “You’re going to pay dearly for that,” Something shifted in the blonde’s eyes, the fear that shone within green diminishing: defiance. _How cute_. An arm shot out, intending, no doubt, to push her away. In an instant, she caught it, lowering it back down, leaning back over the blonde, and pressing a chaste kiss to her lips, even as she tried to squirm away. “I’ve been pleasuring you all day, Miss Swan. I think it’s time you returned the favor.”

“ _What_?” Emma’s voice held malice and shocked confusion, almost as if she hadn’t been expecting such a task. “No way!”

“No?” she grinned, allowing her magic to swirl around her. When it cleared, Emma was left staring at Regina. A completely naked Regina. Cora smirked, watching the savior’s pupils dilate as her eyes roamed across tantalizing flesh, as the blonde’s pulse began to race. Her voice came out in Regina’s smoky tone, “Are you sure?”

“I won’t do it.” Conviction coated her tone, but still her eyes betrayed her, traveling from Regina’s eyes to her bare body.

She tsked softly, “Such a shame you won’t do it willingly. I’m even letting you fuck me as Regina, and you still refuse?” Her eyes turned predatory, “No matter. You’re going to get me off regardless of if you want to or not.” With a flick of her wrist, she pulled Emma forward, grabbed her hair and forced her to the warm junction between her legs. “Get to work, Miss Swan.”

Her hands tangle in golden tresses, keeping her in place, even as her magic moves around her, forcing the blonde into action. The first swipe of her tongue has her biting back a moan. By the third, fourth, fifth, she’s dispelling her magic, (Emma not being experienced enough to tell the difference) one of her legs thrown over the blonde’s shoulder, heel digging into her back to keep her moving, thrusting against the younger woman’s mouth.

* * *

 

Regina felt her heart constrict in her chest, felt all the air leave her lungs, yet still she couldn’t draw breath. Her eyes never left the mirror, the grotesque scene playing out like she was in a nightmare. She wanted to stop it. To poof in, rescue the blonde and get her home. To do _anything_ but her legs were frozen in shock and horror. She felt her body tremble.

She watched as her fingers dug into the blonde’s scalp, forcing her to stop from shaking, and she knew that if she could see the blonde, there would be tear stains on her cheeks.

“Stop shaking and stay still!” her voice, even though it was herself, coming from her mother, it came out harsher than she was sure she’d ever spoken, and it caused a shudder to run through her as a memory overtook her.

_It’s late when she hears the door to her room creak open. The moonlight trails through her window, onto her bed, illuminating her sheets. She waits on baited breath. If she’s lucky, it’ll just be a goodnight kiss tonight. Except this has been going on for years now, and she isn’t sure when she began to lose hope. Her door shuts quietly. Footsteps make their way closer to her. The bed dips, and she catches whiff of her mother’s perfume. A hand brushes against her cheek, trailing upward to tangle in her long hair before moving back down, a single finger running along her lips, pressing lightly as a sign to be quiet._

_Her mother gently kisses her lips, and it’s soft, gentle, almost loving. But she knows it’s all a ruse. Hands make their way to her nightgown, hiking it up to pull her panties down, and even if she had the willpower to fight back, she doesn’t make a move to stop them. It’s only when two fingers push into her that she tries to move away. Her mother’s free hand grabs her waist, holding her in place as the fingers speed up inside her._

_“Stay still, Regina!” It’s merely a hiss of words, but she complies, feeling tears spring to her eyes._

_When her mother kisses her again, she hums disapprovingly against her lips, tasting her salty tears, but instead of stopping the kiss, she kisses harder, thrusting her fingers faster. Regina can’t stop her hips from jutting forward, nor can she stop a low moan from slipping past her lips. Cora pulls back with a sneer on her lips and settles for watching her daughter as she takes her._

_“Mama, please, don’t.” Regina’s plea is quickly silenced by a wave of the older brunette’s hand, as a gag settles over her mouth._

_“I’m teaching you, my love.” Cora soothes her softly, her voice a sharp contrast to the force of her thrusts. “Mother is better than any stable boy, you know that.” At the mention of Daniel, Regina shuts her eyes tightly. Thinks of him alive, not lying on the ground in the stable. A sharp twist of the fingers inside her makes her gasp and open her eyes. Cora slams back inside her with three fingers, moving harshly. She arches off the bed, but her mother instantly restrains her with magic, stroking her hair softly. “Come for me, my sweet.” She wants to deny her mother, she wants to deny her with every ounce of her being, but the fingers inside her move too surely, control her too easily, and she’s cumming against her mother’s hand before she can blink._

It’s her own voice that brings her back to the present. Well, more specifically, her mother masquerading as her. She feels her anger begin to bubble anew as she focuses back on the mirror.

* * *

 

Cora feels her orgasm upon her. She dispels her transformation, grinding harshly against the Savior’s mouth, and no sooner had her magic cloud vanished than did her orgasm hit. She holds the blonde tighter against her until the last of the aftershocks vanish before she’s pushing the blonde away from her roughly.

A smirk tugs at her lips, “See, dear? That wasn’t so bad, was it?”

The sheet returns to its dark purple as the blonde pulls it to her; her head swims as she roughly takes gulps of air, each intake painful. She doesn’t bother to answer the woman, not caring about the punishment. Luckily, she doesn’t have to worry. She catches purple smoke from the corner of her eye and averts her eyes.

Cora grins at her daughter; with a wave of her hand, she’s magicking clothes back on herself, turning to look at Regina, “Hello, dear, did you enjoy the show?”

Regina ignores her, looking instead at the blonde, who, although facing the former queen, refuses to look at her. She takes a deep breath. _Operation Rescue Emma is a go._

* * *

 

Emma didn’t move from where she was curled up on the bed, her eyes devoid of that spark Regina knew so well. She eyes her mother wearily as she stands but she doesn’t miss the way the blonde flinches at the movement. Her heart aches in her chest, clenching involuntarily. Her mother slowly makes her way closer to her.

“ _No_!” Her voice comes out in a snarl. It’s an answer to the previous question and to the older woman’s movement. Her hand accompanies her answer, throwing out a blast of purple magic that aims to hurt, yet when the blast hits Cora, the woman laughs, annoyance clouding her eyes.

“Come now, darling. No need to get testy.” She turns back to the blonde, smirking softly. She looks over her shoulder, her eyes locking with her daughter’s, “She didn’t seem to mind it.” Eyes focused back on the blonde, she stalks towards her, “Did you, dear?” She reaches out her hand towards the savior.

Regina takes a step forward just as a sudden white light shoots from the savior’s body, knocking her mother away. She moves quickly to the blonde’s side, pulling the mirror from her pocket. Her magic pulses through her body, drawn out by Emma’s, and as she presses the mirror into Emma’s hand, she transfers some magic into it. The blonde looks up at her, green eyes shining with unshed tears, eyebrows knitting together in confusion.

She smiles softly, wiping away the stray tear that slips down the young woman’s cheek, “Emma you need to focus your magic on the mirror.”

Whatever else Regina was going to say is cut off. Cora’s magic slams into the former queen, sending her crashing into the wall. Cora materializes in front of her, a smirk on her lips.

“Do you really think you can escape me, my love?”

Glancing around her mother, she can see the blonde trying to make her magic work. Their eyes meet for the briefest of seconds before she focuses back on her mother.

“Mother, please, just let her go, and you can have me.”

Cora strokes her cheek softly as she thinks, and she involuntarily closes her eyes, muting out Emma’s plea. Asking if she’s out of her mind. She wants to laugh because she has to be to want to stay with her mother.

“That’s not what you _really_ want, is it?”

Her eyes shoot open, her voice coming out choked, “What?”

Hungry lips claim hers as an answer, and it’s like she’s thrust back in time. She’s pushed roughly against the wall, but still she returns the kiss, hoping _– hoping –_ that she can buy Emma enough time to make the portal work. She kisses back with fervor, hoping to stall her mother as long as it takes. But Emma’s magic isn’t working right, she realizes. The portal should’ve opened by now. Her mother’s teeth sink into her neck, making her cry out. Everything that happens next becomes a blur. Emma appears almost instantly at her side (a faint cloud of white disappearing), mercifully still wrapped in the sheet, and grabs her arm. She feels her magic react almost violently, and, faster than she can blink, her mother’s far across the room by a blast of what she can only describe as super-charged magic. She knows Cora isn’t dead, but she’s sure the woman is out cold. She turns to look at the blonde, confusion on her face.

Emma smiles softly, “We _both_ go home, Regina.” She holds up the mirror, waiting.

Regina smiles back, grabbing the other side of the mirror, allowing her magic to flow through her hand and into the mirror. Almost instantly, the ground opens up. With a quick wave of her hand, she magicks Emma’s clothes onto the blonde before pulling her close, allowing the portal to suck them through, closing as quickly as it had opened.

* * *

 

Regina gently tugs at the blonde’s hand, pulling her out of the well. Emma leans against her for a couple seconds before realizing the personal space and goes to back up. She quickly stops her with a hand around her waist, squeezing lightly.

“It’s okay.” It’s a voice she never uses with anyone but Henry, but at that moment, seeing the blonde’s eyes light up, tears filling them, she realizes that she wants to use it on both birth mother and son. She takes a step away from the well, watching the blonde closely for discomfort, biting back her own at seeing the blonde so battered. Even with dusk approaching, she can still make out the matted hair and split lip. She’s terrified of what the morning will bring. Hell, what the night will bring. She smiles softly, magically, emotionally and physically drained, “Welcome home, Emma.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More will come once it's written.


	5. A New Arrival

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Okay, dears, just to make sure you all know, because this is an AU everything after 2x09 is divergent from canon so the whole mess with Greg and Tamara isn’t going to happen.

“The best place in the world is in the arms of someone who will not only hold you at your best but will pick you up and hug you tight at your weakest moment.”

Unknown

**Chapter 5: A New Arrival**

Regina cast a quick glance at Emma as they continued through the woods. The blonde was in pain, and even though she tried to hide it, the way she ground her teeth every few seconds and how she stumbled slightly when she walked gave her away. The brunette was sure that if she hadn’t had an arm around her waist, she would’ve fallen. The sun’s light was fading rapidly, but she could see the marks her mother’s lipstick had left on Emma and was sure she held some of her own.

“Why do you keep staring at me?” Emma’s voice came out scratchy, rough, and a cough escaped her throat only moments later.

“If you,” she paused to consider her words, “If you’d like, we could go to the mansion before going to your parent’s apartment. You could clean up what my,” her breath hitched for a moment but she quickly recovered, “what my mother did.” She continued quickly, “I’d like to do that, but it’s up to you. If you don’t want to, we can certainly…”

Emma looked at her then, green emeralds connecting with her brown. She stopped walking, and Emma followed suit. She slowly closed her mouth, watching the blonde silently, trying to communicate with her eyes that she was serious. The blonde nodded her head before speaking, “I’d…I’d like that, Regina.”

“Excellent,” she smiled softly at the blonde before looking up at the sky, “It’ll be dark soon, so let’s…”

“Regina?”

She turned back towards the blonde, an eyebrow arched. She wasn’t used to being interrupted, but then again, it was Emma she was talking to, “Yes, dear?”

“Do…do you…” She watched as the blonde closed in on herself, taking a step away from her, catching her bottom lip between her teeth, looking away. It was something she’d seen Henry do whenever he thought he’d get into trouble for asking something.

She instinctively took a step closer to her, placing two fingers under a quivering chin to raise the blonde’s watery eyes to her own, “Emma, what is it?”

“I…I was…I…” the blonde takes a ragged breath, struggling to stay calm, “I need a shower. Can I use yours?”

She felt her heart clench painfully. The look of fear in the blonde’s eyes made her anger at her mother all the more prominent. She gently threaded the fingers of her free hand into one of the blonde’s, “Of course you can.”

“Should we…my…David and Mary Margaret…” The blonde was barely able to form sentences, her emotions running high, mixing in with the adrenaline rush of magic.

“Emma,” she stepped closer to the other woman, close enough that they were breathing each other’s air and gently cupped her cheek, “take a deep breath. We can call David and Mary Margaret as soon as we get to the mansion.”

“Can you poof us to the mansion? I don’t know if I can walk that far.”

“One, I don’t _poof_ ,” she rolled her eyes at the thought before focusing on the blonde again, “To be honest, I’m pretty depleted of magic. I’m not sure if I can…” She trailed off as she looked down at their interlocked hands; an idea struck her, “Just try to channel a little magic for me, okay? If we combine our magic, I should be able to get us to the mansion safely.”

Emma nodded, her eyes closing, “Okay.”

She felt Emma’s magic seconds later, jumpstarting hers, fueling hers. Moments later, they disappeared in a cloud of purple smoke.

* * *

 

“You don’t need to come over,” Regina spoke in a low tone despite sitting in her study; she could hear the shower running, but she still wanted to keep quiet just in case Emma needed something. She’d just finished wiping the remains of lipstick off her neck when she remembered to call the Charmings. _Stupid idea, Regina_. Snow’s volume rose in hysterics, saying something about having a duty to come over, but it was annoying enough that she pulled the phone away from her ear, “Snow! Gods, lower your voice!! She’s fine. She just wanted to get a shower before…” Regina nearly growled in irritation at being interrupted by Snow’s need of assurance to make sure Emma was alright, “Do shut up, dear. Now as I was saying, Emma wanted to get a shower before coming over. I’m sure you did that the moment you could.” The pixie haired woman agreed demurely, “We’ll be over in about 20.”

She shut off the phone and set it down before running a hand over her face. _She’s fine_. _She’s fine_. _She’s fine_. The phrase kept drumming in her head because, no, no, she wasn’t. Not after what Cora had done. If only she had gotten there sooner. She could’ve… _no, thinking like that isn’t going to change anything_. A loud _thump_ sounded from upstairs, making her jump before rising to her feet and making her way out of the study. She headed up the stairs quietly, listening for any sound of running water. It was still going.

She reached her bedroom and cautiously opened the door. Soft light filtered in from under the door in the adjacent bathroom, leaving the rest of the room cast in darkness. She walked to the door, her hand on the handle, “Emma?” No answer. She carefully turned the handle and opened the door, peering inside.

The shower curtain was left open, though the water remained dutifully in the shower. Emma was sitting against the wall, her head tilted upwards as the water beat down on her. As Regina got closer, she took notice of the room’s temperature. The shower was fairly warm when she’d turned it on, but there wasn’t any steam fogging up the mirror. In fact, it seemed rather…she moved quickly over to the shower, running her hand under the spray to find it icy. Turning, she saw that the hot had been turned completely off. She turned quickly towards the blonde, throwing her shirt off so it didn’t get any wetter than it was, wincing only slightly as she stepped into the shower, reaching behind her to shut off the cold. Taking in the far away glaze of the blonde’s eyes, she frowned before kneeling down, taking the younger woman’s face in her hands.

“Emma? Emma, can you hear me?”

Emma’s gaze instantly flickered to hers, “Regina?” The savior’s voice came out with a mix of confusion and pain.

“What are you doing on the floor, dear?”

“I…I don’t know.” Green eyes shifted away from her.

“You don’t have to lie, Emma,” She spoke softly, trying not to anger the woman, “Not to me.”

Emma looked at her again, their eyes connecting, and she could see her pain reflected back, “It was too warm…I could feel her hands on me.”

“So you tried to turn it down…” She added quietly.

“And I turned it off. I was able to get my hair washed before…before I felt uncomfortable.”

She nodded at the answer before gesturing at her position, “Did you slip?”

“I…I must have…”

Regina stood carefully, reaching out her hand for the blonde to take. Pulling her up, she resisted the urge to look down at her body, keeping her gaze on her face, looking into her eyes, “I’ve called your parents. They’re expecting us soon.”

“Okay,” Emma spoke softly before taking a small step forward, biting her lip, looking at her, “Regina?”

Regina drew in a quick breath as Emma’s nude form brushed dangerously close to her own. _Gods, I can’t think when I’m near her_.

“Yes, dear?” She visibly shivered when Emma leaned forward, close enough that their breath mingled together. She was half-certain the blonde was going to kiss her, but instead, Emma took a step back.

“If…could you see if I got every mark?”

Standing half-naked in front of the nude woman, Regina was sure she wouldn’t be able to deny her anything, “Of course.”

* * *

 

Snow and Charming looked up at the sound of the front door opening. Emma walked carefully into the apartment, grateful for Regina’s additional support. They’d opted to use magic for transportation, (“it’s faster,” Regina had insisted) but Emma still wasn’t used to the rush of it all. She’d stumbled only slightly when her feet touched the ground, but even though she’d grabbed the door handle, Regina still reached out an arm to steady her. She and Regina entered the apartment, the door shutting behind them, and even before Snow and Charming could get up, heavy footfalls were heard rushing down the stairs. They barely had time to look up before Henry was running into their arms.

“Mom! Ma!” The ten-year-old threw his arms around his mothers, and they immediately knelt down to hug him back. “I knew you would do it, Mom! I knew you would bring Ma home!”

Emma smiled despite feeling tears slip down her cheeks. There had been a moment when she thought she’d never see her son again. She pressed a kiss to his hair and caught Regina’s eyes out of the corner of her own.

“I knew it too, kid,” She spoke to their son, but her eyes remained connected to Regina’s, “I knew it too.”

He pulled away from them and grinned, “Are you hungry? What happened when you were there? Grandma wouldn’t tell me anything.”

“No, I’m not that hungry,” Emma replied with a gentle smile, wiping her eyes, “and nothing fun happened, kid.”

Henry turned to Regina just as Snow and Charming approached Emma. The royals no doubt wanted to hug their daughter, but the moment they tried, Regina saw it: the tensing of muscles, tightening of a jaw, the sudden fear of assault. In short, Emma felt that they were too close to her, her voice quiet as she spoke, “Please, don’t touch me.”

“Henry, would you get me a glass of water, please?” Like she suspected, he nodded and went to do just that. She turned to Emma, gently placing a hand on her arm, which she didn’t doubt Snow and Charming saw, but she didn’t care. She leaned in closer so only the blonde could hear, her voice a mere ghost against the blonde’s ear, “Go get some sleep, dear. It’ll just take some time to get use to their touch again.”

Emma sighed softly in acknowledgement, pulling out of the brunette’s hold. She frowned, casting a glance at her parents before heading towards the stairs, “I’m going to bed.” She passed Henry and ruffled his hair, “G’night, kid.”

“Goodnight, Ma.” The boy handed Regina a glass of water, a smile on his lips, “Here you go, Mom.”

Regina smiled softly, watching Emma head up the stairs, “Thank you, dear.” She took a small sip before setting it down, turning to the Charmings, “As promised, Miss Swan is home.”

“Thank you, Regina,” Snow said; Charming nodded in agreement.

“Right, well, I’ll just be —”

“Mom?”

She turned towards her son, “Yes, Henry?”

“Stay here tonight?”

“What?”

“Stay here. You could sleep on the couch. I’ll be right upstairs with Ma.”

“Henry, I don’t have a problem with you staying here, but I don’t think—”

“We don’t mind, Regina.” Charming spoke up, and she turned towards the two.

“You don’t?” She arched an eyebrow in both confusion and surprise, “Are you _sure_?”

“Of course we are,” Snow smiled softly, “It’s late. You don’t need to walk home just to…”

“I have magic.” She pointed out.

“Please, Mom,” Henry squeezed her hand softly, “I’d feel better if you and Ma were both here.”

She sighed, “Very well.”

* * *

 

It was the whimpering that woke Henry two hours later. He sat up, rubbing his eyes. He looked around, disoriented, before the sudden twitching of his blonde mother’s leg forced his gaze to her. She was tossing and turning, hands clenching and unclenching the sheets tightly, her eyes screwed shut, almost like she was in pain. He moved swiftly from his bed to hers, worry creasing his brow.

“Ma? Ma, wake up. You’re dreaming,” He shook her shoulders, trying to jolt her awake, “Ma, it’s just a dream. Wake up.”

She continued to thrash on the bed, stuck in whatever night terror held her captive. He was going to shake her again when she whimpered once more, and he heard the name that tumbled out after, “Regina.”

 _Oh_ , he sat back with a small smile, _she needs Mom_. It was like when he was younger, needing his mom to help him wake.  He stood from the bed, exiting the room as quickly and quietly as he could, before making his way down the stairs to the couch. He shook his mother the moment he stopped in front of the couch, “Mom, wake up.”

She jolted awake almost instantly, reaching out her hand to cup his face, “Henry? Henry, what’s wrong?”

“Ma’s having a nightmare, and I can’t wake her.”

“What?” she mumbled, still not fully awake, “Your mother could sleep through a tornado, Henry. You just have to try ha—”

“But Mom,” Henry quickly interrupted, taking her hand and trying to tug her up, “She’s calling for you.”

* * *

 

Regina was barely aware of Henry stopping outside the doorway while she entered the room, her entire focus on Emma. She sat beside the writhing blonde, unsure of how to proceed. It wouldn’t do well to freak the blonde out more. She reached for her shoulder, “Emma, you need to wake up, dear.”

She didn’t have a chance to touch her, recoiling at the sound of her name coming out in a tone that was almost… _fearful_ , “Regina.” She swallowed hard, feeling tears prick at the corners of her eyes. Henry was wrong. Emma wasn’t calling out for her, she was calling out because…because she was being hurt by some phantom of her. She moved to stand, determined to get one of the two idiots to wake the blonde, when Emma muttered again, thrashing, “Regina, she’ll hurt you. Don’t.” _Oh_ , realization dawned on the former queen, _she’s dreaming about what happened_.

“Emma,” She gently grabbed onto the blonde’s shoulders to keep her steady, leaning closer to the woman, taking notice of the tears that slowly began to leak from behind closed eyes, “Emma, come on,” She felt her magic spike, triggered by the distress they both were feeling, “open your eyes. Wake up. It’s okay now.”

Emma shot awake with a gasp, tears streaming down her cheeks.

* * *

 

Emma’s barely aware of her actions as she nearly catapulted herself into an upright position, clutching tightly onto the only other person in the room. _Regina_. Her dream had felt so real. Had seemed like it had really happened. Yet as she clutched at the brunette’s shirt, her body bowed forward with her head barely touching the woman’s shoulder, she took in the familiar atmosphere: One window, a green curtain open slightly, allowing a sliver of pale moonlight to enter onto the worn oak floors, a small oak dresser, Henry’s small bed, and she was nearly hyperventilating on her own bed. She was in her room. And Regina was…what _was_ she doing?

She pulled back slightly, looking at the brunette through teary eyes and tousled hair, and instantly the brunette stopped whispering against her ear, a blush of all things tinting her cheeks.

“Regina?”

The former queen cleared her throat slightly before speaking, “Yes, dear?”

“What are you doing?”

“I…I was…when Henry had nightmares, I used to talk to him to help him calm down. I was trying to do the same with you.”

“Oh,” she looked away, her face heating with a blush of its own, “thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Would you like to talk about it?”

“No,” she answered a little too quickly, looking back at the woman, “No, I’m fine now.”

“Very well. I’ll send Henry back in.”

Their son heard his name and entered the room, hesitantly, “Is everything okay now?”

“Yes,” Regina answered, starting to rise from the bed, a smile on her lips, “Everything’s okay.”

Emma’s fingers wrapped quickly around her wrist, prompting the woman to look at her, but Emma wasn’t looking at her, instead opting to staring intently at the bed, “I was wondering if maybe I could sleep next to both of you.”

Henry walked over to the bed and sat down beside his blonde mother, taking one of her hands and squeezing it, smiling at her when she looked over at him, “Sure, Ma.”

“You don’t think it’s weird?” her voice came out choked with so much emotion that Regina felt her heart clench.

Stepping around the bed to get on the opposite side of Emma, Regina spoke quietly, mindful of the two idiots downstairs, “Of course not, Emma. Needing to be next to…to family after a nightmare is perfectly acceptable.”

Henry smiled at her before snuggling into Emma’s front, still holding her hand in his, “Yeah, exactly.”

“Family?” Emma asked softly, confusion clouding her voice.

Regina swallowed roughly before wrapping her arms around Emma’s body, making sure she had Henry’s free hand in one of hers. With a flick of her wrist, the blankets repositioned over their bodies. Taking Emma’s free hand with her own, she squeezed it softly, “Yes, dear. A somewhat dysfunctional family at times, but a family.”

Emma smiled, feeling tears slip down her cheeks, “Ok.”

Within moments, the three were asleep.

* * *

 

Sunlight was filtering through the windows the next morning, though by the look of the sky, there was a possibility that it might rain. Snow and Charming were enjoying their morning coffee, talking quietly amongst themselves, when there was a knock at the door. Charming stood, making his way over. With a quick look out the peephole, he opened it.

Rumple stood at the doorway, a smile on his face, a man standing next to him, “Good morning, Charming.”

“Gold,” he said with a small nod of his head.

“I hear Miss Swan made it back here alright.”

He narrowed his eyes, “She and Regina did, yeah. They’re upstairs, sleeping. Henry too. What do you want?”

“Oh, nothing really. It’s just that my son here,” he gestured to the man next to him, “just got into town. A mutual friend brought him. He seems to have a past with Miss Swan.”

Charming cast a glance over at the man.

He extended his hand, a smile on his face, hazel eyes warm, “Neal.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: You all trust me, right? So when I say that Neal doesn’t have a chance with Emma in this story, you’ll believe me? Good, now that that’s settled, please leave a review. Next chapter will be up soon. Also, my other laptop crashed, so I’m on my netbook for the time being.  
> Hime no Kowai Shumi


	6. Secrets Revealed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: As mentioned in the previous chapter, everything after 2x09 is AU, but I’m still going to reference some scenes from 2x14, hence the spoiler.

"You don’t love someone for their looks, or their clothes, or for their fancy car, but because they sing a song only you can hear.”

Oscar Wilde

**Chapter 6: Secrets Revealed**

The moment Rumpelstiltskin entered the Charmings’ apartment, he felt the magic in the air. Quite literally, in fact. He picked up on Regina’s magic instantly, grown accustomed to the feel of it, but the magic accompanying it was a strange one. It was as if it was making the former Queen’s magic lighter, while continuously strengthening it. But the most curious thing of all was that Emma wasn’t even performing any magic. Not consciously anyway. From what he could sense, the Savior was still asleep, blissfully unaware of that power inside her. Magic coated him and Regina like an aura, the stench undetectable unless by another magic user, which was how he knew she had a barrier spell around the apartment to ward off uninvited guests, but the added power boost by the Savior was something he hadn’t anticipated. In fact, the two returning from the Enchanted Forest wasn’t something he had anticipated. It was all so…

“Fascinating,” he mumbled as he and Bae… _Neal_ , his mind corrected him, sat on the couch. His boy had changed so much since the last time he’d laid eyes on him. _He was no longer a boy_.

“And Henry’s ten now, right?” Neal asked, drawing Rumple’s attention back to the conversation at hand. _And, it seemed, he had a boy of his own._

“That’s right,” Snow exchanged a side-glance with her husband, “Henry brought Emma back to Storybrooke about six months ago. She gave him up for adoption when he was born.”

A look crossed Neal’s face, a mixture of hurt, loss and regret, “It’s because she was in jail, wasn’t it?”

“It was you who sent her there, right?” Charming responded, his eyes hardening, bypassing Neal’s question.

 _Oh, Gods,_ Rumple thought with a slight roll of his eyes. _I have better things to be doing right now_. He regretted not waking Belle and having her accompany himself and Neal. She would’ve made this all the more bearable. He felt bad, for leaving a note asking her to tend to the shop.

“I know I messed up,” Neal growled out, standing from the couch, “but I know better now. I know what I did was a mistake. Listening to August…Pinocchio…was a mistake. But I love Emma, and I want to be a family with her and my son!”

He was expecting either Emma or Regina to come down the stairs at his son’s outburst but was pleasantly surprised to hear quiet footfalls and Henry’s voice, as he addressed Neal, “I don’t know who you are, but I already have a family, and it’s not with you.”

“Henry,” Neal took a step towards the young boy, taking in the similar features, features so similar to Emma that he was nearly floored. Henry had his eyes, but the fire behind them wasn’t his. It was definitely Emma’s, “I’m your—”

 “Didn't you hear what I just said, or are you just stupid?” Henry cut him off, his eyes angry. “I have a family. You’re not part of it.”

“Henry,” Snow began softly, “If you’ll just give your dad a chance, I’m sure he’ll—”

“ **No**!”

* * *

 

Regina opened her eyes slowly, trying to determine if the sleeping blonde in her arms was real or if she had dreamt that earlier this morning had happened. Henry wasn’t in the bed anymore, but she knew that she hadn’t simply sleep-walked up the stairs. The former issue settled, she took in the more pressing matter. Emma had shifted sometime in her sleep and now faced the mayor. Emma’s face was mere inches from her own, their breath mingling, and though Regina tried to deny it, she could feel her desire to lean in and kiss the blonde awake growing. She swallowed thickly, her eyes tracing the Savior’s face. She reached out slowly, gently threading her hand through tangled, blonde hair, combing it out of the way. She knew she should stop, that if Emma woke the situation would become awkward fast, stuttered apologizes and embarrassed gazes, but she found that she didn’t mind if that happened. In fact, even as she envisioned it happened, it didn’t seem all that bad. Emma smiled softly in her sleep, and Regina found a smile slipping onto her face at the sight. When Emma had walked into her life six months ago, barging in so suddenly and throwing her world into what seemed at the time as absolute chaos, she never imagined being this close, _growing_ this close. She never imagined…

“Regina?”

The brunette jolted from her thoughts and found herself staring into confused green eyes.

“Emma,” She breathed out softly, pulling her hand away from the blonde almost as an afterthought.

Sleepy green eyes gazed into her brown, her face stretched into a warm smile, “Hi.”

“Did you sleep okay after you fell back asleep?” She asked quietly.

“Yeah,” Emma reached her free hand up, caressing the brunette’s cheek, “Thanks to you. What about you? How’d you sleep?”

Regina felt heat begin to bubble to the surface, and her voice came out hoarse, “Fine.”

Last night, with Emma so vulnerable, she saw no downfall to falling asleep beside her, holding her through the night. It was something that she would’ve relished while growing up under her mother’s thumb. But now, faced with Emma’s sleepy gaze and grateful actions, she realized her grave error: she really couldn’t be near the blonde without feeling something, without wanting to kiss her. _This is foolish_ , she chastised herself, _Emma was sexually assaulted, and I’m wanting to kiss her._

Emma suddenly shifted against her, pulling the sheets closer around them and scooting down so that she could rest her head against the brunette’s chest, “Can we just lay here for a little while?”

“O-Of course, Emma,” she replied. Unsure of what to do with her arms, she forced them to stay at her side.

There was a small chuckle, and the Savior looked up at her, smiling softly, “If you still want to hold me, I don’t mind.”

“You…” she took a breath, trying to keep her voice calm, “you were assaulted by my mother, Emma. You shouldn’t want to be anywhere near me. Why are you so comfortable around Henry and I but not your parents?”

She felt her heart tighten at the pained look in green eyes as she spoke, “You’re not your mother, Regina. I feel safe with you. I can’t explain why. I just do. If you don’t want to…to be around me, I get it.”

Emma went to roll away from her, and Regina panicked. Her arms moved quickly, wrapping around the blonde’s waist, pulling her back, “No, wait, I’m sorry!” She hadn’t mean to pull her so close, but they were nose to nose, lips millimeters away from each other, “I’m sorry,” she continued softly, “I don’t want to make you uncomfortable, Emma. I’m not pitying you. I’m not trying to make you a victim. I just don’t want you to think I’m trying to take advantage of you.” She reached out and wiped away the tear that slowly ran down a pale cheek, “I’m afraid of what I’m feeling. And I don’t want to compromise our…friendship.”

Emma leaned into her touch, biting her lip, “What are you feeling?”

She had never really voiced what Emma meant to her out loud, keeping the thoughts that had been growing over these last months strictly as thoughts and nothing more, but she had to try, “I’m feeling something beyond friendship.”

Emma smiled, “Me too.”

She wasn’t sure who moved first, but they were seconds from their lips meeting when Henry’s voice shot them apart, “ **Get away from me**!"

They shot from the bed, the thought of a kiss, of using magic, long forgotten in their haste to get to their son.

* * *

 

“Henry!”

“Kid!”

Henry was sure he’d never seen his moms get to him so fast. His Mom checked him quickly for injuries, before nudging both him and his Ma behind her, a fireball suddenly blazing in her hand, “What the hell is going on here?”

For a moment, no one moved, but then Mr. Gold, his apparent paternal _grandfather_ of all things, spoke, “Now, Regina, no need for fireballs. My son just wanted to meet Henry.”

“Why?”

“Because I’m his father,” Neal spoke up.

He felt his birth mother tense beside him and wondered if what she had said before, about his father being dead, had been a lie. Before he could reply, his adoptive mother doused her fireball and stood glaring at the man, “Oh? You’re the bastard who let Emma go to jail for his crime?”

“Yes,” Neal answered.

His Mom seemed surprised by the honestly but merely pursed her lips in a thin line, “Henry, go upstairs with your mother and—”

“Regina,” the blonde stepped forward, placing a hand on her arm, “you go with him.” She fixed Neal with a withering glare, “I’ve got this.”

To his surprise, she agreed, “Very well.”

He followed the brunette up the stairs, barely catching what his Ma was saying, “Alright, Neal. Outside, now.”

* * *

 

Emma leaned against the Bug, arms crossed, taking in Neal’s nervous form. _What a way to ruin my morning_. She still felt sore, muscles she didn’t even know she had were aching, and all she wanted to do was sleep the pain off. Neal shifted in front of her, drawing her attention.

“How did you find this place?”

He attempted a smile, “August. He came and found me after the curse was broken.”

Her eyes narrowed, “How do you know August?”

“He’s the one who found me. Years ago. After we’d already met.”

Emma rolled her eyes, her voice coming out harsh, “You left me and let me go to prison because Pinocchio told you to?”

Neal stepped forward, “I know I messed up. But I can do better now. You, me, and Henry, we can be a family, Emma.” She reached her hand up, tugging the swan necklace she wore. He smiled, “You still have the key chain I got you.”

If looks could kill, he’d be dead at her feet. With a frown, she tugged the key chain-turned-necklace off, handing it to him, “Yeah. To remind myself never to trust someone again. Get lost, Neal. I already have a family. You’re not part of it. You never will be.” She shoved past him roughly, intending to go back inside. She wasn’t expecting him to grab her arm and pull her back to him. The moment he touched her, she felt her body tense up, “Let me go.”

He didn’t seem to have heard her, a frown on his face, “Don’t you see that I’m a different person than I was? I’m not going to leave you again. We can get an apartment and work everything out. Henry will have everything he ever wanted.” She tried to pull away from him, but he gripped her arm tighter, “Stop trying to run away and listen to me, Emma! Henry will have parents who love him! Who love each other!”

“I _don’t_ love you!” She shouted. He let go of her arm and she took a step away from him, anger clouding her features, “I may have loved you once, I may have wanted a family with you once, but I don’t now, and I don’t love you anymore!”

Neal looked at her, hurt and anger clouding his face, “You can’t **not** love your first love!”

“Just get out of town now, Neal. You’ll leave eventually. It’s what you do.”

Before she could even process what was happening, his lips were on hers. She felt her body freeze, a fog clouding over her thoughts. The scene changed around her. She wasn’t even outside anymore. Neal wasn’t kissing her. Cora was. She was being pressed roughly against the bed, Cora’s body pinning hers down, lips moving insistently over hers, drowning her, stealing the breath from lungs; red lips were painted with a predatory smirk, giving voice to the deeds that were going to be committed. Dark eyes watched her as long fingers were forced painfully inside her, curling against inner ridges that would prove her downfall. Magic encased her, taking her will, forcing her to kiss back. It was like she was falling, having no support to save her. Her body felt hot, and pain shot through every nerve ending.

“ ** _Emma_**!”

She blinked, the world coming back into focus around her. Regina stared down at her, dark eyes lit with worry. Her head was in the woman’s lap, which confused her. She’d been standing only a minute or so ago. Neal had kissed her and then…she didn’t remember. Her parents stood next to Rumple and Neal; her ex looked guilty, but she didn’t want to think about him. She had stopped thinking about him the moment she was sent to prison.

Her voice came out hoarse, “What happened?”

Regina let out a grateful sigh and helped her stand, placing a hand on her back to support her. She’d looked out the window to see Rumple’s son try to force his tongue down the blonde’s throat, and before her jealously could get a tight hold on her, she saw him pull back, worry in his gaze. She couldn’t make out what he was saying, but the moment she saw Emma start to sway, she had disappeared in a swirl of magic, reappearing in time to catch the blonde before her head could make contact with the pavement.

She smiled as Henry appeared at their side and gently grasped her hand, “Ma, are you okay?”

She looked down at him, speaking softly, “Yeah, kid, I just need some breakfast. Granny’s?”

He nodded mutely, “I’ll go get on shoes.”

She watched him head into the apartment, turning to Regina the moment he was inside, “Regina, what happened?”

“I think you had a flashback.”

“A flashback of what?” Snow asked, stepping forward, worry in her eyes. When the brunette didn’t reply, Snow frowned, “Emma, what’s Regina talking about?”

 _I don’t want to deal with this_. She looked over at her mom, “It’s nothing, Snow. Don’t worry about it.”

“You didn’t wake up to your father or me calling your name. Not even Henry.” She took a step closer, taking one of her daughter’s hands in hers, “Emma, if you and Regina are bonding because of magic, I don’t really mind. Magic is something that can be good. But flashbacks—”

“It doesn’t concern you,” She pulled away from her mother’s hold, looking over at the sound of the door to the apartment complex opened. Henry walked back over to them, looking between them, confused.

“Everything okay, moms?”

Emma nodded, grateful for the distraction, and knelt down in front of Henry, “Yeah, kid. Your grandma and I were just talking, but we’re done now.”

“Henry,” both birth mother and son looked up at Regina, “you take Emma and head over to Granny’s. I’ll meet you shortly.”

“Okay,” he answered, gently holding her hand tighter, “Come on, Ma.”

“But…”

Regina looked over at her, a gentle smirk on her face, “I won’t be long. Apple pancakes and coffee, two sugars.”

She sighed, allowing Henry to drag her along, chatting away, “Okay.”

* * *

 

Rumple watched as birth mother and son walked down the sidewalk before turning the corner and disappearing from sight. The moment they were gone, Regina whirled on Bae so fast that his son jumped.

“You _idiot_!” She jabbed his chest with her finger, eyes blazing, “When a woman says she doesn’t want to be with you, you _don’t_ try to force your tongue down her throat. If I **ever** catch you doing something so juvenile again, you’ll be leaving town in a body bag!”

He stepped in front of his son, his eyes narrowed, “Don’t threaten my boy, Regina.”

She fixed him with a glare, “He should know better, Rumple.” Not giving him a chance to retaliate, she waved a hand, allowing purple smoke to swirl around her, and when it cleared, she was dressed in a red button up dress shirt and black pants. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, my son’s other mother promised breakfast.”

He watched her walk away, and motioned for Bae and the Charmings to head back inside before following her, his cane thumping quietly as he walked, “Regina. We need to talk.”

She didn’t stop, and he sighed, appearing in front of her with a wave of his hand. She let out a sigh of her own, “What about, imp?”

“Your mother.”

Just as he suspected, she paled, “Emma and Henry are waiting.”

He grasped her arm gently, “You used to have flashbacks while I was training you, Regina. I never thought much about them, thinking they were a result of some kind of magical hold she had on you, but if Miss Swan is having similar flashbacks…”

“Enough,” the former Queen growled out, tugging her arm free.

“Regina,” he looked into her eyes and asked in a quiet whisper, “did she assault you?”

The regal woman brushed past him without a look back, and he knew the answer without her saying it. He watched her enter Granny’s and saw a glimpse of Emma through the window. If Cora had had the audacity to assault her daughter, he didn’t doubt she’d done it to the Savior as well. _Gods, this was not how I suspected my morning going_. Turning away, he began to walk back to the Charmings just as the first of the rain droplets began to fall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I wanted to establish a Rumple/Regina father/daughter kind of thing, so I hope I did it justice. I debated having either Regina or Emma punch Neal…but it didn’t fit. Slow burn Swan Queen, you guys, so be prepared to wait.  
> HKS


	7. Past Transgressions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the kudos and comments. Also Trigger Warning for mentions of past Black Queen

“Survivors of abuse show us the strength of their personal spirit every time they smile.”

Jeanne Mcelvaney

**Chapter 7: Past Transgressions**

Regina took slow bites of her pancakes as she and Emma listened to their son rattle on about a school project. She tried to push the conversation with Rumple from her mind. The fact that he remembered she used to have flashbacks when she’d forgotten unnerved her. Of course, after she cast her mother through the looking glass, she had started her own process of forgetting her past. She had been Queen. But when Rumple began teaching her magic, the thought that he’d bind her, try to control her with his magic, made her concentration hard, hard enough that conjuring a simple fireball was impossible at first. She never discussed the flashbacks with him, but he saw her go through them, trusting her to get herself out of them. Which, with magic, became easier. After she had Leopold killed and became the Evil Queen, the flashbacks stopped. She caught her lower lip between her teeth softly. She and Emma were connected by magic, yes, but surely that didn’t mean that her flashbacks would start again. She shuddered. _Gods, I hope not_.

“What do you think, Mom?” Henry’s voice snapped her from her thoughts, and she looked over at him.

“I’m sorry, sweetie, what do I think about what?”

He rolled his eyes, something that she was sure he got from Emma, and repeated, “I was wondering if I could stay at home with you for a while. I miss my bed, and Ma says she doesn’t want to wake me in the middle of the night if she has another nightmare.”

She looked over at the blonde seated next to her, but Emma wasn’t paying attention, stirring her hot chocolate, biting at her lower lip, self-conscious. She wanted to say something, truly she did, but she looked back at Henry instead, “That sounds wonderful, sweetheart. We’ll go back to your grandparent’s house and pack yours and Emma’s stuff.”

Like she predicted, Emma’s head shot up, looking over at her so fast she was almost afraid the blonde would get whiplash. Henry looked at her too, confusion on his face, but Emma spoke before he could open his mouth, “Why am I packing?”

She took another bite of her pancakes before answering, a smirk on her lips, “Because that bed you sleep on in the apartment isn’t nearly as comfortable as the guest room at my Mansion, dear. I can’t have the town’s Sheriff having a bad back.”

“But…”

She looked over at her, giving her a pointed look that told her that they’d discuss it later, before turning towards their son again, “You don’t see a problem if Emma comes and stays with us for a little while, do you, Henry?”

“Well, no,” he frowned, his eyebrows knitting in confusion, “but, I mean, is this because my dad’s in town?”

“Of course not, kid.” Emma quickly interjected, “Why would you think that?”

“Well, when I woke up this morning,” he looked away, pink tinting his cheeks, “You and Mom were tangled together and looked so happy. And now it’s almost like seeing my dad’s put you guys in a bad mood.”

She reached across the table, taking a hold of his hand gently, “Oh, Henry, it’s nothing to do with your father, I promise you.”

“Yeah, kid,” Emma smiled softly, “besides, I was going to try and convince your mom to help me with my magic anyway,” she leaned across the table and mock-whispered, “You can’t tell her though.”

Henry grinned at them both, his voice taking on an excited tone as he spoke, “That’s so cool, Ma!”

She smiled softly, remembering that not even a week ago, Henry was weary of magic. Afraid of it, even. She wanted to ask him about it, but instead, she looked over at Emma, raising an eyebrow, “I’m going to be doing _what_ now?”

Emma tilted her head, a small smirk on her lips, “Where better place to practice than the Mansion, right?”

She merely rolled her eyes and muttered, “I suppose.” She turned back to Henry, eager to know what his thoughts about magic were, but just as she opened her mouth, she felt Emma give her hand a gentle squeeze, their hands out of sight and on the seat beside them.

Emma smiled hesitantly, “Thank you.”

She nodded curtly but gave a small squeeze back, “You’re welcome.”

“Come on, Moms,” Henry spoke up, drawing their focus back to him to find him looking out the window. They followed his gaze to see that there was a light drizzle of rain, “if we hurry, we can walk to grandma and grandpa’s.”

* * *

 

It was the sound of laughter that made Snow and Charming look up from their individual books from where they were sitting together on the couch. They didn’t have time to wonder what was going on because the door was suddenly thrown open, and Henry came running into the apartment, laughing. A grin was on his lips, and without even acknowledging them, he took the stairs two at a time. They noticed that he was soaked, no doubt from the storm outside, water clinging to his clothes. They didn’t have a chance to ask him what had happened, rather, they didn’t have to. Regina and Emma entered the apartment moments after Henry, both as soaked as their son, mirrored looks of agitation on their faces. Shutting the door behind her, Emma took a seat on the floor, tugging off her boots; she had her back to them, unaware that they were on the couch, and it seemed like Regina didn’t even know they were there, if the way she was focusing on their daughter was any indication.

“He’s grounded,” Emma growled out as she slipped her socks off her feet.

“Forever.” Regina agreed.

“Come on, Moms,” Emma mimicked their son, “if we hurry, we won’t get caught in the storm.”

The brunette chuckled softly, the sound surprising the two royals, before flipping her wrist, causing two towels to appear. She handed one to Emma, smirking softly, “My father used to tell me that children could make their parents believe anything if they tried hard enough,” She ran her towel through her hair, catching stray droplets as they slid down her face and neck, “I never believed him until I got Henry.”

Emma smiled, pressing the towel into her hair, “He was right.”

Regina nodded, extending her hand to help the blonde to her feet, “That he was,” she let out a soft sigh, “Alright, go make sure Henry’s packed. And into dry clothes, the both of you.”

The younger woman tossed the towel back at Regina, grinning softly, “Yes, _Your Majesty_.”

Snow and Charming watched with mild fascination as Emma headed up the stairs, before they turned their attention to Regina. They didn’t have a chance to ask anything, though, because the regal woman spoke before they could, “Henry and Emma are going to be staying at the Mansion for a little while. No need to worry about her though. It’ll only be for a few days, not another 28 years.”

Charming frowned, standing from the couch and taking a step towards her, “Just because I’m grateful that you helped bring Snow and Emma home doesn’t mean that I’ll listen while you make stupid jokes.”

Regina grinned, “Stupid jokes? I’m afraid I don’t know what you mean, dear.”

Snow gently grasped her husband’s arm, “It’s alright, Charming.”

“No, it’s not, Snow. She –” Whatever else Charming was going to say died in his throat as Emma came bounding down the stairs, a small bag slung over her shoulder.

She descended the stairs quickly, standing next to Regina, “I’ve just got to go hurry Henry up and change. We can go after that.”

“Tell me you’re joking,” the brunette spoke up, looking at the small bag, “that can’t be it.”

Confusion clouded green eyes, “What? Yes, this is it. I’m good, Regina.”

Brown eyes rolled in irritation before Regina flicked her wrist. Purple smoke appeared in front of the blonde, and when it cleared, a suitcase was resting on the floor, “Pack. Go.”

“Regina, really…”

“Now,” the mayor cut her off, “before I _poof_ you upstairs.”

Emma grabbed the suitcase, something akin to annoyance flashing through her eyes, before stalking quite loudly up the stairs; Snow and Charming watched as she headed up the stairs and disappeared around the corner, turning back towards Regina for an explanation. The brunette sighed softly before flicking her wrist once again. Her purple magic swirled around her body, and when it cleared, she was dressed in black slacks similar to what she had been wearing and a button-up blue shirt. She leaned back against the counter before inclining her head to the side to look at the two royals as they continued to stare at her.

“If you have something to ask, speak. Otherwise, go back to your books.”

For a moment, they remained silent, but then Snow let out a soft sigh and spoke, “We just wanted to know why Emma’s going to go with you and Henry, is all, Regina.”

The former queen sighed and looked away. How do you tell your sworn enemies that their daughter needed some space without telling them the reason? She thought back to what Emma had said back at Granny’s and turned back to them.

“I’m going to be helping Miss Swan with her magic. Better to practice at the Mansion than here, wouldn’t you agree?”

Charming frowned, “I suppose it wouldn’t hurt. If she has the power to use it, she should.”

“I think it’s awesome,” Henry chimed in as he walked down the stairs, his backpack slung over his shoulders, changed into dry clothes. He stood next to Regina, smiling as he looked up at her, “Hey, Mom, do you think you can teach Ma how to do the clothes changing spell so she can change faster?”

Regina smiled back, “I suppose I should teach her that first. I’ll go see what’s taking her so long.”

As she began to walk towards the stairs, Snow’s voice cut her off, “No, I can do it, Regina.”

Lightning flashed in the sky, thunder booming in the distance. Regina frowned, feeling her magic spike, “It’s fine,” she said calmly, contrast to the sudden wave of fear that coursed through her body, “We’ll be right down.” She walked up the stairs quickly.

* * *

 

The mayor was only slightly surprised to see Emma sitting on the bed, the suitcase on the floor beside her, but she was pleased to see that she had changed into dry clothes. She took a step closer, lowering her voice, “Emma?”

The blonde looked up, tears slowly slipping down her cheeks, but she made no move to stand. She held her baby blanket tightly in her hands as she addressed the regal woman, “I…I really don’t need the suitcase, Regina,” she swiped at the tears, cursing softly, “I don’t have a lot of stuff.”

“Emma,” Regina walked over, sitting on the bed, “I didn’t –”

“I mean,” the Savior continued as if she hadn’t spoken, “all I have is a few extra pairs of clothes and my gun and badge.”

“Emma,” Regina tried again, gently squeezing her hand, “magic is emotion. You have to try to calm down.”

Angry green eyes connected with brown before Emma pulled away and stood, glaring at her, “I don’t even have my dignity. I can’t look at myself in the mirror. I don’t have my fucking dignity anymore, Regina, because your mother took that from me!”

The 180 from sad to angry surprised the brunette for a moment before she realized that lashing out was the younger woman’s way of coping. She wanted to comfort the woman, she truly did; however, despite her best efforts to stay calm and collected, Regina felt her anger taking hold of her; she stood, glaring back at the blonde, “What my mother did to you wasn’t my fault, Emma!”

Emma was up in her face before she even realized it, shouting at her, “Yes, it was! It was your fault!”

She felt a cold chill run down her spine. It felt like someone had dumped a bucket of cold water on her, her anger disappearing quickly. Her voice came out in a near whisper, “What are you talking about?”

“It doesn’t matter,” Emma said softly before turning away quickly; she opened her drawers and shoved jeans and tank tops into the suitcase before closing it and grabbing her blue leather jacket from her closet and slipping it on. “Come on, Henry’s waiting.”

“Wait, Emma,” Regina gently grabbed her wrist, turning her back to face her. She searched green eyes before speaking again, “my mother…was it because of the…feelings you have for me?”

“I didn’t mean to yell at you and say what I did,” the blonde said instead, her voice soft, “I’m sorry.”

Regina released her grip, her mind swimming. She didn’t deny it. She closed her eyes. _Gods, no_. She quickly followed Emma down the stairs, making a reminder to get the answer out of her tonight.

* * *

 

Neal frowned softly as he watched his father flipped the closed sign on the door. It was pushing eight, and though he wasn’t particularly tired, he just wanted the day to be over with. His dad and Belle had spent nearly the whole day trying to come up with a spell that would protect the town and keep outsiders out, and he’d been left to tend to the shop. It wasn’t all that bad, he guessed. Not a lot of people came in. A fairy came in at one point. One of the dwarfs, Grumpy, wandered in around lunch, looking for something he’d had back in the Enchanted Forest. A small smile slipped onto his lips as he thought back to when he’d been in the Enchanted Forest. It had been nice, even after his mother had left them. But when his father became the Dark One, well, it wasn’t good. He didn’t have a lot of friends to start with, and he lost most of them after his mother had left, and then the rest left because his dad had scared them off.

“Bae,” He looked up to see his dad looking at him.

“Papa,” he began, “it’s Neal now.”

“You’ll always be Bae to me,” Rumple replied with a smile before he spoke again, “If you’d like, you can stay with me. There’s an extra bed at my place, and I’m sure Belle wouldn’t mind.”

“No, Papa, really, it’s fine. I’ll just get a room at Granny’s.”

“Nonsense. You can stay with family.”

Neal sighed softly, “If I could stay with Emma and Henry…”

Rumple frowned, walking over to him, “Bae, Miss Swan doesn’t feel the same way you do anymore. You’re going to have to move past it.”

“How do you know she doesn’t feel the same?”

He smirked and patted him on the shoulder, “Because her magic is drawn to another.”

“She doesn’t have magic.”

“Oh, but she does. Powerful magic.” Neal opened his mouth, but Rumple beat him to it, “It doesn’t matter right now, Bae. Now, please, it’s time to close up the shop and head home.”

The man sighed softly, “I guess free room and board is better than having to pay.”

He followed his father out the back entrance, locking the door behind him.

* * *

 

Emma leaned comfortably against the couch in Regina’s study, sipping at the wine the brunette had given her. The rest of the day had gone on without another incident. Regina began to teach her magic – well if she was honest with herself it was mostly Regina showing her how to feel the magic building and then how to keep emotions in check – and they worked on that while Henry was finishing homework for Monday. After lunch, Henry somehow managed to con them into going for a walk, and while Emma was grateful for the distraction from magic, she couldn’t help but check in on her father when they walked by the sheriff’s station. As the day was beginning to wind down, she helped Regina make dinner. Well, okay, so she just stood around and talked while Regina made it, but still it all felt very domestic to her. Though there was a part of her that wanted to say that hated it, she found herself craving more days like this. They’d only put Henry to bed a little while ago and then wandered down to the study for a drink.

She sighed softly. _A great end to a pretty shitty start_. She thought back to this morning, at the way she went off at the brunette. _Stupid thing to do, Emma_. She needed to find a way to apologize to Regina for her actions. She never meant to blow up at her.

She looked up when Regina reentered the room, another bottle of wine in her hand. The brunette smiled softly, “I thought we could use some more.”

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were trying to get me drunk,” she answered with a smirk as Regina sat beside her.

“Only if you want to get drunk, dear.”

She set her glass on the table and turned to look at the mayor, “Regina, I wanted to…”

“You don’t need to say anything,” Brown eyes locked with her green, “I understand that you were upset. It’s okay.”

“I didn’t mean what I said,” she continued, “What happened to me, it wasn’t your fault.”

_If you hadn’t loved my daughter, I would’ve killed you, simple as that._ Cora’s words came to her mind but she quickly pushed them away. They didn’t mean anything, just a way for Cora to get into her head.

“Emma,” she blinked, coming back into reality.

“Sorry, I must have…” She froze mid-sentence when Regina leaned in; warm breath ghosted over her lips, and she felt her breath hitch. Their eyes locked for a moment, hesitation in brown, before Regina pressed a light kiss to her cheek, which was both satisfying and disappointing.

Regina pulled away and stood, looking more flustered than anything, “I’m heading to bed, dear. The guest room is made up, but you’re welcome to have more to drink if you’d like.”

“Uh, yeah,” she replied, “Good night, Regina.”

The regal woman tossed her hand up in some kind of reply and disappeared out the door. Emma sighed softly, tossing the rest of her wine back. _Maybe this was a bad idea_.

* * *

 

_Warm fingers are splayed across her stomach, nails digging harshly into flesh, but she couldn’t cry out. The gag in her mouth prevented it. She lay on her bed in her childhood home, bound tightly by magic. Daniel was still alive, she was aware of that, but her mother had found out she liked him. She had to get away. She struggled against the magic, but it felt like they were only growing tighter the more she fought._

_“Stop struggling, dear. You’ll only hurt yourself,” her mother slipped into her field of vision, smirking, “What have I told you about that stable boy, Regina? He’s no good. He’ll only use you and then toss you aside.”_

_She tossed her head back and forth, desperate to get the gag off her._ He wouldn’t do that, _she wants to scream,_ He’s a good man! _Her mother grabs her chin as she lowers herself to the bed, flicking her wrist to make their clothes disappear. The gag disappears with another careless wave, and then her mother’s kissing her, and she’s being forced to kiss back. She feels her body jolt upwards as two fingers are driven inside her. She cried out against the harshness, but the tongue invading her mouth forced her complacence._

_She doesn’t want this, not again. No more. Cora pulls away, observing her face, two fingers still pumping harshly._

_“Mother, please,” she lets out a low moan, “please, I’ll be good.”_

_“Oh, I know you will, dear,” Cora smirks, pulling her fingers away and then jamming back in with three, making her cry out._

_She catches movement from the corner of her eye and turns to see her father, watching them with a sad look in his eyes, “Daddy! Daddy, help me! Stop her! Daddy, please!”_

_She watches, dejected, as he merely shakes his head and walks away._

_“Focus, Regina,” she turns back to her mother as the three fingers curl inside her, making her gasp._

_“Mother…”_

_“Come for me, my love.”_

Regina jerked awake, breathing heavily. She rose from bed, standing on shaky legs. It had been _decades_ since her last nightmare, so to have them now was completely idiotic. Flipping on the light, she walked into her bathroom, heading to the sink to splash water onto her face. _Calm down, Regina. It was just a stupid night terror_.

“Regina?”

She jumped, startled, before turning around to see Emma leaning against the doorway of her bathroom. She took in the blonde’s disheveled appearance and wondered if she’d just woken up as well. She turned off the water and patted her face dry with a towel before facing the blonde again.

“Emma, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing, I just couldn’t sleep and heard you get up. You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

She frowned softly, “Nonsense, dear. I’m just getting ready to start the day.”

“It’s 4 am on Sunday, Regina.”

“Yes, well,” she brushed past the blonde, heading over to her closet, “nothing like getting an early start.”

“Regina, you may not believe this, but I always know when you’re lying.”

She rolled her eyes and walked back over to the bed, laying back down before patting the opposite side of the bed, “It was just a nightmare. They happen.”

Emma eased into the bed beside her, turning to face her. She was silent for a moment or two before she spoke, “Your dad never protected you.”

She looked over at her, startled, “What are you…”

“That’s what you meant when you said your dad said that kids could make their parents believe anything if they tried hard enough. You tried to get him to see what your mom was doing, but he didn’t.”

“No,” she replied softly, feeling her eyes start to tear up, glancing at the blonde to see her looking at her, not expecting an answer, just wanting to listen, “No, Emma. No. He saw it. He just didn’t help me and stop it.” Emma didn’t say anything. Instead, she scooted closer and pulled her into her arms. She felt her body tense, but it quickly relaxed, “Emma, what are you doing?”

She could almost see the eye roll, “I’m helping you go back to sleep.”

“By holding me?”

The blonde merely shrugged, “It worked for me last night.”

“Henry wanted it.” She muttered, her eyes growing tired as she unconsciously relaxed into her hold.

“Keep telling yourself that,” She heard Emma mutter before she fell into blissful sleep.

* * *

 

The air was warm as the shrouded figure headed further into the woods. It was blissfully quiet, and perhaps that was for the best. The figure walked up to the magic well, dropping ingredients into it one after another. A greenish tint began to glow from inside the well. The figure smirked, watching it. Soon, there would be nothing to keep the barrier between the two worlds closed. It was only a matter of time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thoughts on who the mysterious figure is? Let me know. Also, tell me whatcha thought over all. 
> 
> HKS


	8. Breaking Point

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: More Black Queen in this chapter  
> Spoilers up to 2x14

“Sometimes you just need to break down to have all the pieces you need to build yourself up again.”

Unknown

**Chapter 8: Breaking Point**

Regina blinked, staring up at the ceiling, wondering briefly what had woken her. Her magic buzzed at her fingertips, and she turned her head to look at the blonde beside her. Emma was cuddled up next to her, keeping her to the bed with an arm thrown over her stomach, and even if she wanted to move, with the way Emma was resting against her, it didn’t seem all that plausible. A smile slipped onto her face as she observed the young woman. It wasn’t often that she got to see Emma looking so relaxed. In fact, now that she thought about it, she couldn’t recall any time the woman looked so peaceful. She lay there a moment longer, looking at the blonde. Emma had her face dangerously close to her own; warm breath caressed her face. She swallowed before turning her head to look at the clock. It was only a little before 6. Sighing softly, she turned back to the slumbering woman and tucked a stray strand of hair behind the woman’s ear, freezing moments after she’d done so.

 _Why did I do that_?

She needed to move away from Emma before she did something stupid. She began to extract herself from the blonde’s hold but paused as Emma let out a low moan, the sound making her breath hitch, and snuggled closer to her.

“Emma,” she began softly, unused to this kind of situation. If it had been anyone else, she would’ve felt uncomfortable, irritated, but with Emma, it felt almost bearable, “Emma, dear, I need to start getting ready…”

“Five more minutes,” the other woman muttered sleepily.

She huffed softly as she resigned herself to wrapping her arms around the Savior’s waist. She wanted to be angry, annoyed even, but as she settled back against the blonde, all she felt was contentment. She closed her eyes, feeling sleep take over once again.

* * *

 

“Moms. Moms, it’s time to get up.”

Regina sat up slowly, rubbing a hand over her eyes and yawning, “Mmm, Henry? What time is it?”

“Almost 7:30,” the brunette watched, amused, as Henry rounded the bed to shake the blonde, “Ma? Ma, get up. Come on.”

Emma huddled further under the blankets, her voice coming out slightly muffled, “Kid, not right now. Too early.”

Regina rolled her eyes, “Come, Miss Swan. It’s time to get up. I’ll go get started on breakfast.”

Emma rolled over to face her, green eyes piercing her brown with a glare, “No.”

“Yes. You may go back to sleep later if you’d like.”

“Come on, Ma,” Henry gently pulled on the blonde’s hand, “you can help me set the table.”

Emma huffed softly, sitting up, “Fine, fine.” She shot her one more glare before following their son out the door.

A smile slipped onto her face as she headed to her closet to find clothes to wear. Hopefully today would be a good day. When she headed down the stairs around ten minutes later, she found Henry sitting at the kitchen table, reading his storybook, the table set.

She spoke over her shoulder as she headed into the kitchen, “Where’d your mother go?”

“She got a phone call and went into the study.”

As she pulled out pans for a proper breakfast, she thought of all who’d be calling the Savior. The two idiots were number one on her list, but Emma wouldn’t leave the room if it were them. Ruby might, but then there was the same problem as before, unless there was some kind of problem the Sheriff’s Station needed to handle, in which case she would’ve taken the call outside. Rumple had her number, but he would simply magic himself here if he had a problem. His spawn – Neal or Baelfire, whatever he was calling himself – was a different matter. She felt the wave of jealousy pulse through her, and she turned on her heel towards the study, determined to know who was calling the blonde.

Pressing herself as close as she could to the door, she closed her eyes and tried to focus. It was silly, really, spying in her own home, especially on a woman whom she had feelings for. With a frown, she straightened and knocked lightly on the door, “Emma?” Opening the door a crack, she could see the blonde sitting on the couch, her phone tossed on the floor. She cast a questioning gaze to the blonde before gesturing to the phone, “Was the reception bad?”

“What? No, no, just didn’t want to talk.”

She sat beside the other woman, turning to face her. There was a part of her that was wary of sitting beside the blonde, but the other part of her, the part that jealous and demanded answers, won her internal argument, “Who was on the phone?”

Emma laughed softly, though it was filled with more self-pity, “Neal. He wants to meet up later. To apologize for yesterday,” There was a pause as Regina digested the information. Before she could ask, Emma continued, “I told him no.”

“Good.” Emma glanced up at her, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth, “What’s wrong?”

“It’s nothing.”

“You can tell me,” She took the blonde’s hand in her own, gently rubbing it in slow circles. The act itself surprised her, having never been one for spontaneous shows of affection with anyone but Henry, but quickly brushed aside any discomfort when she felt Emma settle against the couch, watching her. Looking up at her, she found herself captivated by Emma’s eyes, feeling her breath catch. They stayed like that for barely a second, neither moving, just watching each other, before she decided to break the silence, “Emma?”

“I told him that I was spending the day with you and Henry. Family bonding.”

“Oh?” She arched an eyebrow, “And how did he take that?”

“He said that he should be invited.”

She found herself rolling her eyes, “Please tell me you told him no.”

“Of course I did,” Emma shot back, “He’s not part of this family, and he never will be,” A blush slipped onto her face, and she looked away, “I…I mean…not, not _this_ family…I just…”

She smiled softly, “I couldn’t agree more.”

“Huh?”

“He isn’t going to be part of this family, even if he begs.”

Tears started to form in the blonde’s eyes, and she silently wondered what else he’d put her through besides setting her up to go to jail for his crime, “Promise?”

There was nothing more she wanted to do than kiss her until she wasn’t going to cry, but she restrained herself, opting instead to speak softly, “I promise,” She stood, extending her hand, “I’m sure Henry is hungry. Let’s get breakfast started.”

Emma took her hand, wiping her eyes with her free hand, “Yeah.”

* * *

 

Emma let out a quiet sigh as she slipped back under the covers. It was just pushing 8:30, and while normally she’d be getting ready for work, her dad still wanted to cover for the weekend. Breakfast had been great, really, but she was still exhausted. Henry was going to head to Paige’s house, and while Jefferson was still wary of Regina, he wanted his daughter to still have a normal life, so that meant play-dates. Though Emma was sure if Ava and Nicolas weren’t going to be there, Regina wouldn’t have let Henry go. She smiled softly, getting herself comfortable, closing her eyes. _Just a few more hours and then I’ll get up_.

“When I said you could go back to bed, I actually meant the guest room, dear.”

She felt the bed dip as Regina lay beside her, but she didn’t open her eyes as she replied, “You have a comfier bed.”

“I’m sure,” the brunette replied sarcastically, but she made no effort to make her leave; instead, she got under the sheets. Emma opened her eyes when she turned to face her. Their eyes met, though Regina didn’t speak for a few moments. A comfortable silence drew over them before Regina spoke again, “Are you going to sleep or just stare at me?”

She smiled softly, “I’ll sleep after you tell me what’s wrong.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I know you, Regina. You can tell me what’s wrong.”

“Nothing’s wrong.”

“Is it something with Henry?”

“Emma…”

“Tell me.”

With a small huff of annoyance, Regina turned on her side, her voice coming out choked, “I can’t.”

“Regina…”

“Go to sleep, Emma.”

She frowned, turning away from the older woman, “Yeah, okay.”

It wasn’t long before she found herself drifting into oblivion.

* * *

 

Regina stared at the blonde’s back, watching her sleep. She’d been laying like this for two hours, willing herself to stay awake despite how exhausted she was still feeling. But what could she do? She was afraid of the night terrors, afraid of feeling powerless in a dream. Afraid of her mother’s punishments and lessons, of her father’s dismissal at the evidence. She didn’t trust sleeping pills to keep the terrors away, and she couldn’t wake the blonde to have her hold her. Gods, she forgot how these terrors used to keep her awake. The light outside made her feel even more foolish. If she couldn’t sleep in the daytime, how could she ever hope to do so at night?

“Regina?” She focused back on the blonde to see that Emma was now facing her, green eyes watching her closely, though it was clear the blonde was half asleep.

“Yes, dear?”

Much to her surprise, Emma scooted closer to her, “Is it okay if I hold you?”

“Why?”

“Because you’re afraid to sleep because of the nightmares.”

She didn’t have a retort to that, a look of confusion passing over her face, “What are you talking about?”

“I don’t really know how to explain it, but I can feel when you’re agitated or annoyed or scared. It’s keeping me up. So can I hold you?”

Trying to digest the information, she found herself nodding, drawing closer to the blonde. It was odd that magic bound two people so fully. She’d never heard of it happening, or maybe she had. Tired as she was, she wasn’t too sure. Emma’s arms settled around her waist, and she found herself relaxing into her touch. As she began to drift off to sleep, she heard herself speak, “It started when I was 14.”

“Sleep first. Then you can tell me.” 

* * *

 

“I was 14 when it started,” Staring up at the ceiling made it easier to spill her thoughts than looking at Emma. Looking at her would make everything seem too real. The few hours of sleep she had made thinking clearer, and with Henry not due back until dinner time, they had plenty of time to bear their souls, “Though, when I was growing into a pre-pubescent, Mother still took pleasure in watching me bathe. She wouldn’t let any of the servants bathe me from the time I turned 11.”

“You don’t have to call her your Mom, Regina,” From the corner of her eye, she could see that the blonde had mirrored her position, “You can just call her Cora if it’ll make this easier for you.”

“ **Nothing** will make this _easier_ ,” She shot back, flippantly.

“I didn’t mean to…”

“I know,” She interrupted, her voice soft, “I’m sorry.” She paused, trying to rein in her thoughts, “She used to brush my hair, liked to make sure it was done _properly_ ,” she laughed bitterly, “She enjoyed using magic for everything, unless she felt it necessary for her to use her hands.” She paused again, closing her eyes against the onslaught of memories, “I got my favorite horse Rocinante as a present from my father when I turned 14. I came home later than normal and had to go to bed without dinner.” She stopped, feeling Emma’s hand grasp hers gently, “I didn’t even hear her come into my room. She was just _there_ , a hand over my mouth, telling me to be quiet. She actually shredded my nightgown with her magic, though that was the only time.”

_“Mother, what are you…”_

_“Hush, Regina.”_

_“But Mother…” Her mother slapped her hard, the loud_ smack _ricocheting in the room._

_“Silence, Regina! Do as I say…”_

“I foolishly tried to fight her, but I wasn’t strong enough. She wasn’t satisfied when I finally…” She stopped, hoping to convey her message without having to say the words out loud. “So she kept going. I’m fairly sure that I passed out at one point.”

“And she…” She heard the hesitation in the blonde’s voice, so she gently squeezed her hand.

Her voice came out choked, “Yes, she was my first.”

“Regina…”

She turned to look at the blonde, a pained smile on her lips, “It was over 40 years ago. I’m sure I’m over it.”

To her surprise, Emma scooted closer to her, though she didn’t try to wrap her arms around her. Instead, she stared at her, conflicting emotions in her green eyes. They stayed like that a moment longer before Emma finally spoke, “You never cried over it?”

“The first time it happened, I was too shocked. The only time I did was when I sent my mother through the looking glass; I cried afterwards. Not for long because…”

“I think you need a good cry.”

“Are you my psychiatrist now?”

“No…”

“I don't need to cry.”

“Regina…” Emma’s voice took a softer tone.

“Crying won’t solve anything.”

“Then why are you?”

She swiped angrily at the tears that she hadn’t realized had been falling down her cheeks, but more and more kept coming. Before she could stop herself, she was clutching the front of Emma’s shirt, sobbing. For what she had lost, for what she never had. She cried because of her mother’s twisted love and her father’s disregard. She cried because she finally found the love she never had, the love of her son. Feeling Emma’s body quaking with suppressed sobs, hearing quiet words of comfort despite the tears that rolled down the blonde’s cheeks and hit the top of her head, Regina felt her heart swell with love. Maybe, just maybe, they could get through this. Together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thoughts are always appreciated, dears.


	9. Discovery

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the wait.

“Discovery consists of looking at the same thing as everyone else and thinking something different.”

Albert Szent Gyorgi

**Chapter 9: Discovery**

Monday morning came far too early as far as Emma was concerned. Or maybe that was because yesterday had been so emotionally draining.  She and Regina had talked until the brunette deemed it time to go make dinner. She had stood, unmoving in the doorway, watching the older woman go about the kitchen, getting everything ready. After dinner, once they had checked Henry’s homework, the three settled in for a quick movie. Henry, to both her and no doubt Regina’s thankfulness, didn’t mention their lack of enthusiasm at his movie choice, though because of the excitement of the day’s events, he may not have noticed. After they’d sent him to bed, they sat in front of the TV, watching the credits roll on the screen, neither talking for long moments before Regina had suggested moving to the study, which she agreed to. They settled on the couch on opposite ends, opening the bottle of wine still there from the night before…or had it been there since the night she came over? Either way, it didn’t matter. Alcohol was alcohol. The drinks were poured, and the silence lasted until the first sip. After that, they talked and talked, staying up far later than they normally would. It was Regina’s inquiry about her past with Neal that surprised her, but she surprised herself more by how easily she could talk about the adventures she’d had with her ex. Every con, every tender moment, every argument, everything that lead up to pregnancy. To prison. To Henry. When they’d eventually headed to bed, neither she nor Regina questioned that she followed the brunette to her room.

 She ran a hand over her face, yawning, as she sat up and looked at the time. The smell of breakfast coming from downstairs was enticing, but she knew if she stayed and ate, she wouldn’t make it to the station before 9. It sucked, but she needed to get to the station early. After changing in the guest room, she headed down the stairs. If today wasn’t too hectic, she could grab a shower during lunch, hopefully. _Why did I have to wake up so late_?

Bidding the two Mills good-bye had been more emotionally troubling than she’d wanted to admit, let alone show; watching them sitting at the table, chatting quietly over breakfast, had her smiling. She grabbed her jacket from the living room and hollered a bye as she headed out the door, her voice barely obeying her. They were her family, and they…at least Henry…loved her. Though with the way Regina was acting, she didn’t doubt other woman did too.

She made it to the station before 9, even after she stopped at Granny’s for a coffee and a bear claw. Hopefully she wouldn’t get too many calls. If the paperwork didn’t get done, Regina wouldn’t be happy. With a smirk, she settled into her chair, grabbing a pen. She just hoped today wouldn’t be too bad.

Two hours later, elbows deep in paperwork, she knew that hoping wouldn’t get her out of anything. This week, it seemed, was going to start the way last week ended.

“Emma?”

 _Really shitty_.

She looked from her paperwork with a scowl. Neal stood just inside the doorway of her office, hands in his pockets and a sheepish look on his face. She put down her pen, a frown slipping onto her lips.

“Neal,” her voice was anything but friendly, though it didn’t bother her, making her ex wince slightly. _Good_ , “What do you want?” She didn’t have time for pleasantries, not with the amount of paperwork she had.

“I wanted to know if you and Henry wanted to get dinner with me tonight at Granny’s.”

“Can’t,” she replied shortly, picking her pen back up, “I have another magic lesson with Regina, and Henry doesn’t want to see you.”

“You can’t know that our son doesn’t want to see me!”

She glared at him, annoyance shining in her eyes and voice as she spoke, “He’s not _our_ son, Neal. He barely knows you.”

“Yes, he is, and if you would let him see me sometime, he could get to know me!”

“No,” she hissed back angrily, feeling her magic start to pulse in her fingertips, “Henry is my son and Regina’s son. We decide together what’s best for him. You don’t have a right to call him your son.”

“And you do?” he challenged back, “You gave him up!!”

“To give him _his best chance_ ,” She was shouting, her magic dancing on her fingertips, “I couldn’t raise him; I wasn’t in the right mind set; still in prison, hurt from your betrayal, thinking…believing…that I couldn’t be a mother! But when Henry found me, when he told me he was the baby I gave up for adoption, I didn’t run. I loved him. And he already loved me. All that I felt for him, it never changed. I gave birth to him, Neal. He’s my son. Regina did an amazing job raising him. She loves him _so much_ , and he loves her. He’s her son. But you? You, Neal, don’t have any claim to him. You knocked me up and sent me to prison. You may be his biological father, but you don’t have any place in his life unless he wants you there. And right now, he doesn’t.”

“Regina can’t love anyone but herself,” Neal shot back, taking a step forward, “she doesn’t love Henry, and whatever you may think, she doesn’t love you.”

She stood, anger clouding her voice, “Get out of my office before I arrest you for harassment.”

He ignored her, his hands balled into fists, “Don’t you see?” he asked softly, “Don’t you see that loving her is going to be your downfall?”

“Get out,” she growled out, stepping into his space, “Loving you landed me in prison. I may have gotten Henry because of you, but _you_ were my downfall.”

She felt the slap before she saw it, her face stinging as she leaned back against her desk for leverage, “Son of a…” She shot her fist out, surprise coloring her face when he caught it. That was when she tensed up, her mind blurring. Neal was fading from her line of sight. In a matter of seconds, he was no longer in front of her. Cora was.

* * *

 

Neal let go of Emma’s fist the second he saw her eyes glaze over, worry settling in his gut; the last time this had happened, she collapsed.

“Emma?” he grabbed her shoulders, shaking her, “Come on, Em, snap out of it!” He was going to be roasted if he didn’t do something. What had Regina said? It was a flashback? Yes, that was it, “Emma, it’s not real. It’s a flashback!” He shook her once more, slapped her cheek lightly, hoping something would pull her from her trance-like state. When nothing worked, he took a step back, dejected. How could he not be able to save the woman he loved? His dad’s words rung in his ears: _her magic is drawn to another_.

As much as he didn’t like Regina, he knew that she could help. Grabbing Emma’s phone from where it rested on the desk, he slid it open and went to her contacts, immediately finding Regina’s name in the list of favorites, alongside Henry. Hitting Regina’s name (pointedly ignoring the picture of the brunette, a soft smile on her face, no doubt taken by Henry, as it stared up at him) he waited for her to pick up.

“Emma,” the woman’s tone was pleasant, warm, which made him frown, “are you regretting not having breakfast?”

 _What the hell? Did they have a booty call or something_? Not wanting to delve into those thoughts, he spoke in a rushed tone, “Regina, you need —”

“Why are you calling me on Emma’s phone?” She sounded angry, but a hint of jealousy slipped into her voice.

“She’s having another flashback, Regina,” He growled out, unable to keep the frustration from his voice, “You need to come to the station and help!”

He didn’t get a reply, the line going dead seconds after the last word left his mouth. Before he could even think to call her back, she appeared in a cloud of purple smoke in the middle of the station. The moment he saw her, he hung up and set the phone back on the desk. Before he could speak, she was pushing past him, her face a mix of fury and concern.

“Emma,” her tone was soft as she gently lowered the blonde to her knees, kneeling in front of her, sepia eyes staring into glossy emerald, “Emma, focus on my voice. She can’t hurt you here. We’re home, safe. You, me, Henry.”

“I’m here too, Emma,” Neal spoke from behind her.

She rolled her eyes, “Hush, you fool.” She didn’t appreciate him trying to help, not when he no doubt caused this flashback as well. She turned back to the blonde, gently stroking the red mark on the blonde’s cheek. She wanted to be angry at the spawn, but Emma was her priority. Anger would have to wait. “Emma, dear, please, listen to my voice. Everything’s okay now.”

A tense moment passed and then another before Emma spoke softly, “Regina?”

The older woman watched as the glossy look vanished from the blonde’s eyes, and a smile stretched on her face, “It’s me, dear.”

Neal watched from the doorway, astounded, as Emma, who never let anyone get too close to her, to touch her, allowed Regina to keep a hand on her back; her hand stayed there for longer than what was needed, that he was sure of. As quietly as he could, he slowly backed away. His dad had been right. Magic or not, Emma was drawn to someone. And it wasn’t him.

* * *

 

“I still can’t believe you won’t let me go after him,” Regina muttered softly, sitting on the edge of the blonde’s desk. She watched her work, determined to stay for a few more minutes to make sure she was truly okay, “He needs to…”

“It wasn’t his fault,” Emma interrupted, “He didn’t know.”

“It’s the second flashback he’s sent you into,” the Queen protested, “And he struck you this time.”

Emma looked up at her, setting her pen down, “Going after him won’t change what happened.”

“Maybe not, but he kisses you the first time and then he slaps you…”

“Sounds like someone’s jealous.”

Regina arched an eyebrow, her tone incredulous, “I most certainly am not!”

“I can tell when you’re lying, Regina.”

Regina ignored her, changing the subject, “What did he want?”

“To have dinner with Henry and I. I told him Henry didn’t want to see him and that I had another magic lesson. We got into an argument,” she looked at the brunette to see her watching, attentively, “I told him that you and I get to decide who Henry gets to see. Then he tried to call Henry his son.”

“He’s Henry’s biological father.”

“That doesn’t make Henry his kid.” Emma replied, softly.

“I suppose it doesn’t. Do you not want Henry to see him?”

“Truthfully? No. And Henry doesn’t want to see him.”

Regina gently took her hand, and their eyes met, “How about we ask Henry later tonight?”

“Regina, you know Henry doesn’t want to see him.”

“Henry doesn’t want to see him because _you_ don’t want to see him and because I’m…” she coughed softly, “the point is that Henry can decide on his own. Right now, we need to get you practicing your magic so you can help fight the flashbacks.”

“When you leave, you’re not going after him, right?” She didn’t answer, so Emma nudged her with her knee, “Regina…”

“Oh, very well, I won’t.”

Emma sighed softly, knowing that Regina wouldn’t let the incident go for a while, but she trusted that the older woman wouldn’t do anything rash, “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Starting college again at the end of the month. Expect updates to be more spaced out. More to come.


	10. Vengeance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: See Chapter 1; Spoilers: Same as before
> 
> I know what everyone’s thinking. No way Neal’s getting off so easily.

“When karma comes back to punch you in the face, I wanna be there…just in case it needs help.”

-Unknown

**Chapter 10: Vengeance**

She’d told Emma she’d let it go. She told her that she wouldn’t bother Neal, promised that she’d leave the sperm donor alone, but as she watched the man exit Granny’s, watching from the side of the building, in the alley, she wondered if she could keep her promise. He was walking around her town like he hadn’t done anything wrong. How could the fool act like nothing had happened? How could he forget that he’d made unwanted advances on Emma and had sent the blonde into two flashbacks in the span of 3 days? She wasn’t too keen on having the Savior thrown into another one. Besides that, who knew what he might _accidentally_ do to Henry if he got angry. Her anger flared at the thought of a hand being laid on her little prince.

She had to keep her family safe, even if that meant they would hate her. And she didn’t doubt they would. Henry wouldn’t understand why she would hurt his father, thinking she was in the wrong and would see her as who she would always be: The Evil Queen. And Emma… _Gods, Emma_ …would see it of a betrayal of her trust. She didn’t want that. She wanted their love, but keeping them safe was what mattered. With those thoughts still fresh in her mind, Regina reached out and grabbed the man as he was walking by the alley. She didn’t hear his coffee cup drop, the liquid pouring onto the ground, didn’t hear his surprised gasp, didn’t hear anything except the sound of his body colliding with the wall as she roughly shoved him against it. Her name came out in a surprised, choked voice, and she felt a malicious smirk slip onto her face.

Her voice came out with a mix of anger and enthrallment, “We need to have a little chat, Mr. Cassidy.” He wasn’t going anywhere near her family, consequences be damned.

* * *

 

Emma let out a sigh as she stepped under the shower’s warm spray. She’d been pleasantly surprised when Regina had told her about the shower stalls in the basement of the Sheriff’s station, though if she was honest with herself, she was shocked that she hadn’t about them. How long had she been Sheriff and not known?

Mentally shaking her head, she attempted to focus back on her shower; she stood under the spray, gazing hard at the wall in front of her. Her cheek stung, and if she looked in a mirror, she wouldn’t be surprised to see a red mark. She wanted to be angry at Neal, she truly did, but what Regina said made sense: her anger at Neal would influence Henry’s willingness to want to get to know his father. And as much as she disliked her ex for what he did, Henry deserved to know his father if he wanted to. _It wasn’t like he needed to_.

She frowned softly at that thought. Henry did need to know his father. He had every right to. Yes, she’d lied to him about Neal being dead, but it had been to protect both of them: her because the betrayal had still been fresh in her mind and Henry because…well, she wanted him to think of his father as a hero and not a con-artist who betrayed her. _Had she been wrong_?

As she pondered that thought, she reached down to grab her shampoo bottle, but stopped short, shooting a hand out to steady herself while her other tenderly cradled her stomach as a sharp pain shot through it. She drew in a breath through her nose, trying to regulate her breathing. With everything that was going on, she could almost forget about her sexual assault. Hell, had it not been for the flashbacks, she could almost imagine it hadn’t. _Though_ , she grit her teeth harshly as she looked down at herself, seeing the small trickle of blood that was starting to slide down her thighs, _this was unexpected_.

She slipped to her knees, shuddering under the warm spray, watching as the traces of blood mixed with water, creating a watery pink as it ran into the drain. Briefly, she wondered why she hadn’t noticed the lingering pain down there, but with the amount of time she’d been either asleep or with her family, she hadn’t had time to feel pain.

She looked down at herself, feeling like a failure. _I should’ve fought back_. Cora shouldn’t have been able to get near her. If she had done something different, had gone through the portal with Snow when she had the chance, this wouldn’t have happened…

Dimly, she was aware of her magic spiking. Her fingers dug into her thighs, trying to calm down.

Magic is emotion. Isn’t that was Regina had said?

 _Breathe. Breathe._ Slowly she began to calm down; she rose shakily to her feet, her hand in front of her for balance.

“Should you really be showering so early in the day, Sheriff?”

She’d never been more glad for a shower curtain. She very nearly screamed, and had it not been for the hand she clapped over her mouth, she would have. Her surprise quickly gave way to annoyance.

“I’m on lunch break, Gold,” she was glad her voice didn’t shake, “Whatever you need will have to wait.”

“Bae came into the shop looking…well, let’s just say I want Regina arrested for assault and leave it at that.”

She rolled her eyes, though she couldn’t help but feel angry at Regina, “I’m sure whatever happened, it doesn’t warrant Regina being arrested.”

“She accosted my son!” Gold growled out, angrily, and she had to resist the urge to flinch.

“I’m in the shower,” She tried her best to keep her voice from shaking. Purple smoke, a shade darker than Regina’s, surrounded her suddenly. When it cleared, she’s standing in front of Gold, wrapped in the towel she had set out for herself, water dripping off her. She clutched the towel against her, stepping back. The shower continued behind her, and she wanted nothing more than to get back under it, “What the hell?”

Gold speaks, his voice softer, “And now you’re not.”

* * *

 

“I’m not arresting Regina,” He watched, a frown on his lips as she held the towel tighter, a self-conscious look in her eyes, “She didn’t hurt him or you’d be calling for her execution.”

He sighed softly, turning away, “Very well. I’ll go talk to her myself.”

“Gold…” Emma began, her eyes hardening as she took a step forward.

“Careful Rumple,” a smirk slipped onto his face, turning to watch as Regina stepped away from the wall from where she no doubt watched the scene play out, a warning tone in her voice, “Don’t allow my punishment for your son get in the way of what really matters.”

He regarded her, taking in her slightly bloody knuckles, and felt conflicted. If he let this go, he would be letting down Bae. His son was as important to him as Belle. But Regina really was like a daughter to him, a woman who had been hurt and abused by her mother, and as much as he hated to admit it, he’d taken advantage of her too, by corrupting and twisting her into the Evil Queen. He took in the harsh red blemish on the Savior’s cheek.

_I may have hurt Emma, Papa. I slapped her…just once Papa, I swear…but Regina…Regina went overboard._

At the time, taking in his son’s black eye and swollen face, he’d been enraged. But now, he was starting to see the better picture.

“Very well, Regina.” He nodded to both of them before disappearing in a cloud of smoke.

* * *

 

Regina turned the blonde, trying to keep her expression neutral, but the look that Emma gave her, her face clouded with anger and hurt, made her heart clench.

“You said that you would let it go.”

“He needed to be taught a lesson.” She said, voice strong despite the pain she felt.

“No, he didn’t.”

“Yes,” she hissed out, taking a step forward, “he did. He struck you. He could do the same to Henry, and I know you know it.”

Emma’s voice softened with her expression, “You’re the one who said Henry should decide for himself. You said it was his choice whether he wanted to see Neal,” Emma stepped closer, a sad smile on her lips as she gently inspected the injury, “God, Regina, look what you did to your hand.”

“I changed my mind.”

“Damn it, Regina,” Emma let go of her hand carefully, “you can’t just…I…Henry should decide for himself. You can’t go beating up people.”

She shook her head softly, pressing a finger to Emma’s lips to keep her from talking, “Emma, it wasn’t just for Henry. It was for you too,” she took a step back, lowering her hand, “It’s best that he stays away. From Henry. From you. I want to keep the two of you safe, my dear.”

“Regina…”

“I know you don’t want to let me,” She replied softly, “I know you’re used to taking care of yourself. So am I, but we have to start relying on each other. For Henry. For each other. It’s going to be hard, but you and I, Emma, we can do anything.”

“I…I get what you’re saying, Regina, but…”

She felt her heart drop into her stomach, “But?”

“Look, I’d really rather have this conversation after my shower.”

She took in the blonde’s stance, one hand wrapped around her stomach while the other held the towel tighter, and took a step away, “Of course, Emma,” her smile felt strained, but her voice was devoid of emotion, of vulnerability. _Foolish_ , she thought with a frown, _trying to have a heart-to-heart when the person she wants to talk to is traumatized by multiple assaults by a sadistic woman_ , “I’ll be…”

“Regina,” Warmth shot into her hand from where Emma held it tightly. Green eyes met sepia, “don’t go. I’ll be done in a few minutes.”

She nodded, “I’ll wait upstairs.”

* * *

 

It’s hours later when Emma gets the call about a disturbance in the nunnery. It was barely four, and even though she had a sinking feeling, she grabbed her gun and badge and headed out. When she entered the nunnery, her gut… _when was she going to learn to ignore it_ …led her down into the basement. The super-charge of magic energy was immense, but the moment she laid eyes on the large supply of fairy dust, she froze, “What the hell?”

She pulled out her phone, her hand hovering over her speed dial. Before she had a chance to hit _send_ ,she felt something solid hit her in the back of her head and then there was nothing but darkness.

She came to slowly, and the first thing she saw (the only thing if she was honest with herself) was the magic well. The glowing magic well. _No_ , her mind was fuzzy, but she _knew_ that the well should **not** be glowing.

“What the hell?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am soooooo soooo sorry this took so long! Please forgive me!! College hates me, I swear. Tell me your thoughts on the premiere and what you thought with this chapter.  
> Hime no Kowai Shumi


	11. Magic

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so very sorry this took so long!!!!!

“Love is the biggest magic of all.”

–Unknown

**Chapter 11 – Magic**

“Mom?” She looked up from the menu to see Henry looking over her shoulder at Granny’s front door. Confusion made his face scrunch up in a way that was similar to both her and Emma, she thought. She nearly smiled at that.

“Henry, please don’t stare. It’s rude.” She’d felt the fool staring at her since she and Henry sat down, and truthfully, it unnerved her. She knows Henry will ask and knows he’ll be disappointed. That he’ll hate her. She swallowed roughly, clenching her bandaged hand, the white gauze a parting gift from Emma before she’d left the station.

“Dad looks pissed.”

Her head snapped up, “Henry Daniel Mills! Language!”

He tilt his head at her, a small smile on his lips, “Is that how you hurt your hand, Mom?” She was relieved that he didn’t look angry, just concerned. He reached across the table and gently ran his hand over her bandaged hand, watching her closely. Her eyes were wide, fearful that he’d hate her – that he’d push her away – but he merely shook his head, grinning in a way that’s so like his other mother that she nearly gasped, “You really did a number on him.”

“Henry…” she breathed softly. _Her little prince_. She cleared her throat, looking back down at the menu, speaking in a voice that she hoped sounded strong, “He hurt your mother again, Henry. He needed to know that he wasn’t going to get away with it a third time.”

“Oh,” Henry looked over her shoulder again, a small frown on his face as he took in his father’s appearance.

“He didn’t mean to hurt her,” she found herself saying, “He claims it was an accident, but I…” She paused as he looked back over at her, a curious look on his face, “Yes?”

“Why did you do it?” there was no judgment in his voice, just curiosity.

“Henry, I just told you why…”

“No,” he countered, “you told me what he did.”

She sighed softly. There was only so much she could tell him before crossing the line. She didn’t _want_ to tell him anything, if she was honest with herself. She wanted to have dinner, grab a takeout meal for Emma, and then head home. The blonde’s reluctance to have dinner with them worried her. But for now, all she could do was answer her son’s questions.

“I was afraid he was going to send your mother into another flashback.” She said with a frown, continuing before he could ask, “Remember what happened outside your grandparent’s house?”

“Yeah.”

“Your father did that.”

He tilted his head to the side, his brow furrowing as confusion washed over his face, “I thought he just kissed her?”

Her voice was soft when she next spoke, speaking mostly to herself, “Sometimes that’s all it takes.”

“Mom?”

She looked back at him, smiling softly, “Sorry, dear. As I was saying, this happened a second time at the station today.”

“He kissed her?”

“No, dear,” she gently grasped his hand, almost smiling at his confusion, “He slapped her, and she went to push him away, and when he grabbed her, that’s what set her off.”

“So that’s why you did it? Because Ma didn’t want to arrest him?”

“Your mother felt that he didn’t need to be brought in. We had a disagreement afterwards,” she answered truthfully, “but,” she continued, “Henry, I was also worried that if you decided you wanted to see your father, he would hurt you.”

He looked back over her shoulder, a contemplative look on his face, “I’m not worried about him, Mom.”

“Henry,” she began, a warning in her tone.

“I mean,” he looked back at her, smiling, “I have the Savior and the former Evil Queen as my moms. I’m not worried.” With that, he turned his attention back to his menu.

She swallowed back the sob in her throat, her eyes filling with tears, a watery smile on her face. _Former Evil Queen_ , “Very well, Henry. Would you like to split a plate of French fries?”

“Really!?” he looked up at her then, his grin fading into a concerned frown, “What’s wrong?”

She wiped at her eyes with a napkin, “Everything’s fine, dear. Now about those fries?”

* * *

 

Henry let out a quiet sigh as he walked down the street towards the loft. His mom was heading to Mr. Gold’s – she explained it being saying it was about magic – something he wasn’t quite sure of, to be honest. He’d wanted to go with her, but she insisted that he go to his grandparent’s loft.

He stopped, looking back at his mom as she walked the opposite way. He wished he understood what was going on with his moms. Sure, he loved that they were getting closer to each other – in fact, he was really excited – he just wished they would tell him what was wrong. From what he could tell, something had happened to Emma in the Enchanted Forest, something that Regina understood.

Any other time, he would have followed his mom to Mr. Gold’s shop, but he decided against it. Both of his moms were spacing out more than normal, his brunette mom especially. The more he thought about it, she never spaced out as much as she had in the last few days. Whatever she needed to talk to Gold about – magic or whatever – she didn’t need him as a distraction.

With a soft sigh, he turned away, intent on heading to his grandparent’s loft. A movement out of the corner of his eye made him pause. The Blue Fairy was walking quickly down the sidewalk, heading away from the nunnery, which was strange. She was _always_ in the nunnery. Looking towards the direction she was heading, he frowned. _The forest_? What did a nun – no a fairy – need from the forest? Herbs maybe, but didn’t she have enough at the nunnery?

_What should I do_? He bit his lip, trying to think. Emma always said that if something didn’t seem right to go investigate, but then his mom said to never do anything that could get him hurt, though, _technically_ , following her wasn’t dangerous.

He could picture their faces from the night before his dad showed up, his mom afraid for him, and his ma afraid to be alone; they were struggling with their own inner demons – demons that were devouring them slowly. He needed to do something to help them. They were everything to him.

He waited until The Blue Fairy turned the corner before slipping out of the alley and following her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let’s just pretend it didn’t take me 4 months to get you an update that’s barely 1200 words. College kicked my ass last semester, and then I wanted to make this longer, but decided against it with some friends help. So…if you’re still reading this, let me know your thoughts!  
> Hime


	12. Cora

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: A couple more chapters after this.

“We’re all damaged in our own way. Nobody is perfect.”

Johnny Depp

\- Previously -

_He could picture their faces from the night before his dad showed up, his mom afraid for him, and his ma afraid to be alone; they were struggling with their own inner demons – demons that were devouring them slowly. He needed to do something to help them. They were everything to him._

_He waited until The Blue Fairy turned the corner before slipping out of the alley and following her._

**Chapter 12: Cora**

Henry frowned as he moved quietly through the woods, far enough away from the Blue Fairy that she wouldn’t be able to see him. The path she was taking was awkward and long, and if he thought about it, he didn’t know where she was leading him. This could be something as innocent as finding herbs or berries. He could be worrying for nothing, but his gut told him to follow her, though what he would find was anyone’s guess. As he continued to follow, the area became more familiar. He crouched behind a nearby tree and the fairy continued forward, heading straight to a glowing mass of magic. _The well_. _What is she doing_?

He pulled out his phone to text his mom, but a low groan tore his attention from the device. He peered out from behind the tree. He caught a glimpse of blonde hair and froze, fingers clutched tightly around his phone. _What is going on_? He sent off a quick text to his mom as Emma sat up, clutching her head.

* * *

 

Emma spared a glance at Mother Superior as she carefully walked over to the well.

“What the hell?”

“Do you like it, Savior?” She turned to the fairy, confusion on her face.

“What did you do here?” _Keep her talking, Swan. You’ve got this_.

“Just a little surprise for you and the Evil Queen.”

“What kind of surprise?” Her fingers inch towards her gun. Just as her fingers reached the butt of the weapon, she felt the magic in the air shift. She turned to the well, watching as the magic slowly started to come together. Cold fear shot through her as she recognized the feel of magic in the air, shouting to be heard over the swirling magic, “You created a _portal_?!”

If there’s an answer, she doesn’t hear one; her vision blurs suddenly, her magic reacting violently to the portal. Her fingers tingle with the familiar presence of her magic, but when she looks down, the white flow of magic is leaving her. The blood drains from her face as she staggers backwards, trying to distance herself from the well. Whatever this portal was linked to, it was drawing out her magic.

“Shit…”

“Don’t be alarmed, Emma. It just needs a little bit of magic from you.”

 _A little bit of magic shouldn’t hurt this much_. It feels like her insides are on fire, the burning sensation from her traumatic dream is rearing its ugly head again, and she can’t stop it. It leaves her weak in the knees, and she drops down as she feels her magic start to fade. _Fuck_. Finally, after what seems like an eternity, she feels her magic – however much of it she has left, she doesn’t know – break from its connection with the well.

She’s on her hands and knees, trying to draw breaths back into her lungs, when she hears the crunch of dead leaves and feels the hair on the back of her neck stand up.

“Hello, Savior.”

Her body tenses, freezes. She doesn’t even need to look up to know.

 _Cora_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N 2: This chapter is way overdue and really short. I decided to make the next chapter longer and have the epilogue after that. There won’t be any more updates of this story until after Christmas, more than likely, seeing as I’ll be in Japan from the end of August until mid-December. As always, please comment and tell me your thoughts/reactions.  
> Hime


	13. Goodbye

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I’m back from Japan! Had an amazing experience. I was going to get this up weeks ago but family issues and then my hard drive crashed, so in between homework and other things, my time to write wasn’t that much. I was just lucky I like to send my friends stippets of my fanfics or else this would have taken longer. But it’s finally done. Now then, on with the fanfic. You’ll all be needing tissues for this one. Please don’t send me hate.

“Parting is all we know of heaven and all we need to know of hell.”

Emily Dickinson

**Chapter 13: Goodbye**

_Magic is emotion_.

Regina’s voice was loud in her head, the phrase repeating over and over, but the spark she’d grown accustomed to feeling over the last couple of days wasn’t there. It was like it had vanished. Rationally she knew she should move, to do _something_ , but her legs weren’t working right; flashes of memory assaulted her.

_Unwelcomed lips against hers, a deceiving smile, hands clawing at her thighs, fingers invading her core. She pushed and fought against the brunette, shoving and attempting to push her away, until the familiar scent of magic reached her and she was bound against the bed, unable to move, unable to do anything but scream and beg and anything but moan…_

The weight of her gun holstered at her side brought her back to reality, and she shakily drew the weapon, holding it out in front of her, the muzzle pointing at the older brunette.

Cora laughed, the sound making her startle even as she tried to get her bearings, “What are you going to do with that, dear? Shoot me?” Almost reflexively, she fired off two shots, aimed at the woman’s head. They’re stopped almost immediately, disintegrating before her eyes. There’s flash of irritation in Cora’s eyes as she smirked down at her, “Honestly.” With a wave of a hand, Emma found herself being tossed hard against the tree behind her, losing her grip on her gun, the force nearly knocking the wind out of her. She rose to her feet unsteadily. Before she could even think, Cora was in front of her. The woman’s lips were curled in a cruel smirk, and before she could move, the tree’s branches came down and wrapped around her, keeping her pinned against the tree, “My dear, how I’ve missed you.”

Panic started to set in; she couldn’t feel her magic, no matter how hard she focused. “Go fuck—” she started to growl out. Cora’s lips settle over hers, cutting off her words; immediately she’s feeling light-headed, fingers tingling in pain. This time, however, she can feel her magic starting to leave her.

_Magic is a part of you. It’s always going to be part of you because you’re the product of True Love._

_Shit_.

As quickly as the kiss began, it ended; she dropped to the ground as Cora diverted her attention to the Head Nun, “I wanted to have some fun, Blue. You used too much of her magic.”

“I didn’t have enough fairy dust. Her magic was all I could use instead.” It sounded like an excuse, but she wasn’t sure the Blue Fairy made any.

Before she could begin to think of a plan, a movement to her left startled her.

 _Shit_.

* * *

 

Henry watched as his blonde mother crumbled to the hard ground, barely moving. Magic, shiny white, seeped from her body every few seconds, and he knew he had to move. Something was seriously wrong.

The older brunette was still occupied with Mother Superior, her back turned, and he darted over to his mom as fast as he could. He began to shake her, “Ma? Come on, Ma, we need to go.”

The hair on the back of his neck stood up as the older brunette spoke, “Well now, you must be Henry.”

Before he could do anything, two puffs of dark purple smoke appeared in front of him. His mom and Mr. Gold. _They made it_. “Mom –”

“Stay with your mother, Henry.” It was a command, but one out of love, he realized. Months ago, he thought she didn’t love him, thought she only wanted to keep him from his “real” family, but now he knew that she loved him, that she’d always loved him.

 _You don’t know what it’s like with her. My life sucks_!

“Ok,” he replied softly.

There’s no verbal reply, but in the way her stance changed, he can tell that she’s now shifted her focus. Her eyes are fixated on the older brunette, and there’s something similar between them that he can’t quite place.

“Regina, darling, must you always get in the way?”

A fireball was instantly conjured in his mom’s hand, “Don’t test me, Mother.”

 _Mother_? His face turned pale, realization dawning. _I think I’m going to be sick_. Her turned his attention back to his other mother, and noticed that her magic was starting to leave her body faster.

“Mom!” He shouted, drawing his mom and Mr. Gold’s attention, “Mom, something’s wrong with Ma! Her magic is…”

There’s a look of fear that passed over his brunette mother’s face, but it’s gone in an instant, “What is that?”

“Seems like the well is using her magic as an energy source.” Mr. Gold frowned softly. “She needs to get away from here as fast as possible.”

“Then we need to finish this quickly,” she took a breath, “Henry, text your grandparents and tell them to get here as fast as possible. They need to get Emma to the hospital.”

As soon as the text is sent, he started to shake his mom’s shoulder, “Ma? Ma, you need to stay awake.” She slowly sat up. Her eyes started to dim even as she struggled to stay awake.

 _My name’s Henry. I’m your son_.

Tears started to cloud his vision, and he struggled to not let them fall. “Ma, come on.”

 _I love you, Henry_.

She smiled at him, even as the magic began to leave her faster, “You be good for your mom, kid.”

“You’re my mom too.”

She seemed so tired, eyes opening and closing every few seconds, “Yeah.”

Anger filled him suddenly, surging up as she started to shake her again, “You’re not allowed to die, Ma.”

* * *

 

Regina pushed aside her worry and fear, focusing on her anger as she faced the Blue Fairy. To think this woman had helped her mother. _It could be a spell_ , she reasoned, _but then again, the Blue Fairy was a powerful healer who had experience dealing with Dark Magic, so she should be able to stop any of it_.

“I know what you’re thinking, Your Majesty.”

“What’s that?” From the corner of her eye, she watched as Gold and her mother stared at each other, sizing the other up. In any other situation, she would have taken Emma and Henry and left, but something about these two working together worried her.

“You’re thinking that I’m under a spell. But I’m not. I know what I’m doing. And now, you can watch as the Savior dies in front of you.”

“She isn’t going to die.” She snarled back, conjuring a fireball and throwing it. It’s easily deflected.

She needed to finish this fast, but if she were honest with herself, she wasn’t sure that she could. Her magic was flickering, and she could feel Emma’s magic. Or rather the lack thereof. They’d grown closer in these past few days than ever before, and the connection she felt to Emma and her magic was almost –

“Obviously,” the Blue Fairy pulled her from her thoughts, “you didn’t like the show before, so you needed a closer view.”

She turned to Blue, confusion in her gaze. Such an odd way to put it. And then suddenly, it hit her all at once.

 _Who knows, dear? Maybe next time you can watch_. 

 _The mirror_.

Rage overtook her. “ _You_! This was all your fault?!” She gestured behind her to where Henry knelt beside Emma, the blonde's breathing getting shallow. “Why did you do all this?”

“To reunite you with your mother, of course.”

She couldn’t believe this. This woman, who had helped Snow and Charming when her curse was coming, was working with her mother. It didn’t make sense.

“You never anticipated Emma or I coming home, did you?”

“No, I did not.”

“You knew what she did to me. To Emma.”

Blue actually smirked, "Of course."

Regina conjured a fireball, throwing it towards the pitiful fairy, but it was easily deflected.

She conjured a second one, anger fueling her, when she felt it. It was like every synapse in her brain froze at once. Every muscle in her body froze. She was almost sure she felt her heart snap. Henry’s voice broke through her haze, his voice choked with tears, one broken word slipping past his lips, "Ma?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: So…don’t send death threats and let me know what you thought. Two more chapters to come.


	14. Letting Go

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Close to the end of this tale. One more chapter to go. I graduate from college in 6 days :D

-Previously-

_Regina conjured a fireball, throwing it towards the pitiful fairy, but it was easily deflected. She conjured a second one, anger fueling her, when she felt it. It was like every synapse in her brain froze at once. Every muscle in her body froze. She was almost sure she felt her heart snap. Henry’s voice broke through her haze, his voice choked with tears, one broken word slipping past his lips, "Ma?"_

“Sometimes letting go is the only way to heal.”

\- Unknown

 

**Chapter 14: Letting Go**

It’s almost like she’s floating. She can’t feel the ground beneath her, but she can hear Henry. Is there a reason he’s so loud?

_“Ma? Ma, you need to stay awake.”_

She was in so much pain, her magic being torn from her. Every breath felt like a stab to her chest. She hoped she was smiling at him, _“You be good for your mom, kid.”_

_“Ma, come on.”_

God, she was so tired.

_“You’re my mom too.”_

_“Yeah.”_

_He shook her shoulder roughly. “You’re not allowed to die, Ma.”_

She could laugh. Was this what dying was like? Laying on the ground, having her son trying to keep her alive? She thought she would die from eating too many bear claws. Not like this. Never like this.

_Henry…_

_“Ma this isn’t funny anymore.”_

If she had the energy, she would smile. Her sweet boy. He’d be okay. He had her parents. He had Neal. He had Regina.

_I’m sorry, Regina..._

So tired...

_“Ma?”_

_I love you, Henry._

* * *

 

Regina froze as she looked at Emma's lifeless body; it was like she was thrown back in time, watching Daniel's heart get crushed in front of her. But this...this was different.

_No._

Henry was bawling, and she felt something snap.

_No._

Her little prince was crying, and she couldn't fix anything.

 _Gods no_.

Her son's other mother was…

**_NO!_ **

_S_ he saw red, whirling on the Blue Fairy, shoving a hand into her chest and pulling her heart out in one fluid motion. The other woman didn't have time to look shocked because she had the organ crushed to dust beneath her fingertips moments later. And then all that anger deflated as she fell to her knees beside her...no, _their_ son, kneeling over the blonde Sheriff.  
She looked into lifeless green eyes and felt tears start to fall down her cheeks. She'd been falling for the blonde ever since the incident with the wraith...but she couldn't have lost her. Not like this.

_No, no, no, no._

She didn't get a chance to tell her. She brushed a strand of hair from the other woman's face.  
"Please," her voice came out cracked, but she couldn't bring herself to care, "Please come back to me. To us."  
She leaned down and pressed her lips to Emma's. "I love you, Emma."

* * *

 

Rumple frowned softly, sparing a glance in Regina’s direction. He felt the loss of the magic almost immediately. He knew that Miss Swan was dead. But then if that was the case, the portal should’ve closed. As it was, it was still open, trying to maintain its connection to this world. _Interesting_.

He focused back on Cora to find her watching her daughter, smirking.

“Do you think she understands yet, Rumple?”

“And what might Regina need to understand, dearie?”

“Love is weakness.” Cora finally looked back at him, “Do you think she understands that no one will ever love her the way I do?”

“I think you’ve caused enough trouble here.” He stepped closer to her, conjuring a wooden heart chest from Regina’s crypt. “I think it’s time you’ve gone.”

“I’m not going anywhere. The portal is secure.”

He smirked, “The _portal_ is flawed. Just like your plan.”

The smirk fell from the Queen of Hearts’ lips, “What are you talking about? That wretch is _dead_. Her magic is completely drained.”

He opened the box and removed the beating heart, “Ah, ah, ah, dearie. Remember: True Love,” he shot forward, pushing her heart back into her chest, “is magic.”

* * *

 

Regina kept her lips to Emma’s, hoping, praying that it would work. There was no other explanation to the way their magic reacted to each other. She could feel it. That small break in her magic slowly repair itself.

_Please, come back to us, Emma. I love you._

A bright light shot out from where their lips touched. Warmth. Love. Safety. It felt like coming home.  
She felt Emma's lips move against hers and couldn't help but smile softly. She pulled away slowly. Bright, green eyes shone back at her.  
"I love you too, Regina."

* * *

  
The ripple of True Love's kiss washed over them, and he smirked softly. Cora stumbled back from him, shock written over her face. Everything she had done since removing her heart came rushing back to her; he could see it in her face. The disgust. The shame. But he could also see the darkness that lurked, waiting to act.

"You've caused too much damage, dearie," Rumple spoke softly, stepping up in front of Cora, blocking the small family from her view, "It's time you've left our sleepy, little town."  
  
"Rumple, please..." Cora begged, "Let me see my daughter."  
  
"I'm afraid I can't let you do that."  
  
"I need to make amends -"  
  
He let out a small laugh, "I don't think so."

“I can change. I’m different. I won’t…” she stepped away again, and he saw his chance. He knocked her back with a wave of magic, sending her into the portal. She grabbed at the sides of the well, holding on as hard as she could. “Rumple please.”

“Sorry, dearie. But as you already know,” he shot a wave of magic at the well, counterbalancing the portal’s dwindling magic, “love is weakness.” With one last burst of magic, Cora fell back through the portal. It closed almost immediately.

He caught sight of the Blue Fairy, eyes open, clearly dead. With a sigh, he looked over at the small family unit. Miss Swan was being smothered by both Henry and Regina, both openly crying tears of happiness.

Regina looked at him, tears slipping down her face. A look passed over her face, and she turned back to Miss Swan, muttering in her ear. The Savior met his eyes then, and he nodded. She released a shuddering breath. Henry kept his head buried in his blonde mother's chest, a hand clasped in Regina's, securely between both of them. The sound of the Charmings calling out for them all reached his ears. A moment later they came into view. He waved his hand, the Blue Fairy's body disappearing. He'd dispose of the body later that night. He let out a sigh and slowly made his way over to his family.  
The magic in the air buzzed slowly, finally at peace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Next is the epilogue.  
> Hime


	15. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Here it is: the epilogue of the tale! 2 years later and it’s done xD It’s crazy, right?

“It’s ok to be scared. Being scared means you’re about to do something really, really brave.”

\- Unknown

**Chapter 15: Epilogue**

Healing takes time. It's not just one day you wake up and everything is back to normal, as if the trauma never happened. You can't become the same person you were because that person no longer exists.

It isn't until she's sitting beside Regina in the loft, her parents across from her, trying to explain what had happened that she realizes that her healing has just begun. They don't try and hug her, just listen silently as she speaks. Most of what she says is mumbled words and God she doesn't have to tell them. It's her secret. Hers and Regina's to share decades apart. But when she's finished explaining and she's hugging her parents, something clicks. It's like pieces of a puzzle falling into place.

* * *

 

Pongo lays his head in her lap during her sessions with Archie. For her first few sessions, she just sits, staring at the wall until the time is up. Archie sits patiently, giving her time to process. And it really is a lot to take in, isn't it? How can she go from orphan, ex-con, bail bondsperson to mother, daughter and True Love in six months? It was crazy.

Hell, she's more worried about almost dying. Or maybe she did die. She's not sure about that. It was like her life-force was gone and in the next instant it wasn't.

Eventually, she starts to opens up. Most days when she's done, she's physically drained. In fact, after the first session, she went back to the loft and just slept. She probably should've told someone where she was. Or at least not told her family she'd meet them for dinner after she was done. So when Henry and Regina woke her up, it warmed her heart.

* * *

 

She and Regina decide to do a therapy session with Archie together once a week along with one-on-one sessions separately. Henry is either with her parents or Neal when they have their therapy session together, though they talked it over with Henry, he decided that he’d rather go with Neal.

"He's my dad and I want to know him."

She had sighed and let him go. 

Henry himself still had therapy sessions on Thursdays, but according to Archie, he could probably stop when he felt ready to. It was nice, though, for the three of them to go to Granny’s for dinner after his sessions.

***One month later***

Henry’s birthday is only a few days away, and he’s staying with his grandparent’s tonight. Emma had moved in with them a couple weeks into their therapy. It was something Archie had suggested, but honestly, she was sure it was something to do with a conversation he’d had with Snow. It had probably been about hope and True Love and how she and Emma should spend all the time together they should.

She would’ve rolled her eyes, but the truth of the matter was that being around Emma seemed to be helping with the nightmares. Emma had commented on it, wondering if it had something to do with them being True Loves.

“True Love is tricky. I’ve heard that it can do many different things.”

Emma had grinned, looking more like herself than she had since the ordeal had happened. And even though she was loath to admit it, she was feeling more like herself than she had in decades. What she felt with Emma was stronger than she felt with Daniel. At first the thought had alarmed her, but Daniel had told her to love again, so that’s what she was doing.

Emma had had a similar experience with Rumple’s spawn. While she had no desire to even see the man, she had gone with Emma at the woman’s request and had sat a few tables away with Henry while Neal and Emma talked. The thing about being True Loves with magic was that their magic would react to each other’s moods. She had brooded over her fries, and she could feel Emma’s magic’s uneasiness.

When Neal had gotten up to leave, he’d smiled at Henry and had nodded to her. She almost smiled. But then she remembered where she was and nodded back. When Emma joined them a few seconds later, she slid into the booth beside Henry, grabbing a fry from his plate.

“Well?” she prompted, passing her plate of fries toward the blonde.

“He said that it looked like I found my Tallahassee.” Emerald eyes met her dark ones, “He’s right.”

She’s pulled from her thoughts by Emma resting her head on her shoulder.

She opens her eyes as she stares down at the blonde. Emma stares up at her, smiling softly.

“Emma, I thought we were going to sleep in.”

“Never thought I’d hear that from the Mayor.” Emma presses a soft kiss to her lips, “I’m not that tired.”

“Mmm.” She kisses her back gently, sitting up slightly. The blonde wiggles herself into her lap, gently tangling a hand in her hair. Heat erupts in her core as Emma pushes her backwards onto the bed, still kissing, and she gently breaks the kiss, running a hand along the Savior's cheek.

Emerald eyes catch hers, her name coming out with a slight whine. She resists the urge to chuckle; instead she regarded her softly, running her hands along her sides as she carefully switches their positions, straddling the blonde's waist. She brings their mouths together in a soft kiss, “You're sure?”

Emma nods, “Yeah,” she pauses, “Regina please.”

She presses another kiss - this time more hesitant - against the blonde's lips. After she'd become queen, she tossed her past with her mother away. She reveled in her sexuality, and once Leopold was dead, she took full control, taking who and what she wanted with her bedmates' feared consent, desperate to please her. As she thought back now, the terror they'd displayed mirrored her own as a young woman, under Leopold and her mother.

She gently stroked Emma's cheek, a soft smile creeping onto her lips at the younger woman's sigh. She and Emma had been through so much. She understood her. She had to be gentle. And she would.

“Regina…”

“I’ve got you.”

* * *

 

Henry looked up with a grin as his mom brought out the cake, Emma following her with plates and a knife. The Mansion was packed with his family. His grandpa and grandma had arrived first, not surprisingly. Gold, Belle and his dad had showed up a short while later. Dinner had been nice. Mom had only thrown one snide remark to grandma, and she had _laughed_ about it. It was so absurd.

“Henry,” Mom said, pulling him from his thoughts.

The cake was in front of him, Ma finishing lighting the candles, “Make a wish, kid.”

He smiled and looked around the room. _I wish this never ends_.

With one breath, he extinguished the flames.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: And there you have it. The end of this journey. In honor of the season finale, I wanted to get this up. Viva la Swan Queen, my dears. Never lose hope.  
> Hime


End file.
